VISTA Corridor Flood Recovery
August 4, day of mucking
Dirty Half Dozen
This crew of more than six VISTA members prides itself on hard work and no slacking off.
Jay Davis, team lead, shows off a reciprocating saw donated by a church group.
Lunch break is all about eating and cooling off.
Four young women under the direction of their male team lead Elie Lowenfeld show that anything boy muckers can do, girl muckers can do, too.
August 4, 2008, various sites in Cedar Rapids. Several crews of AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) crews hit the streets of Cedar Rapids to clean out flood damaged homes.
Morning
The day began like every day, at the East Central Iowa Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). Team lead muckers get assignments from VRC staff, round up supplies and account for their crew members.
First, though, Julie Rochford, Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator for Central Cedar Rapids Weed & Seed, hands out packages of baby wipes.
She then talks to the group about replacing filters for respirators used at work sites.
VISTAs pull second-hand coveralls -- affectionately referred to as "onesies" -- over their shorts and Tshirts,
then lace up work boots or pull on rubber boots.
The work crews pile into pickups, vans and sedans; check their Google Maps directions to the work site; and head out for a long, hot day of dirty work.
Top photo:
Mucking crews talk in the VRC parking lot Monday, August 4, 2008. VISTAs include Christina Roth, Evan Spells, Natalie Masci, Ryan Neff, Elie Lowenfeld, Rob Hubbard, John Schneider, Tye Schulke and Jasmin Bongiorno.
Middle top photo:
Julie Rochford, Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator, discusses safety and hands wet wipes.
Middle bottom photo:
VISTAs listen to a short safety lesson from Julie Rochford (far right). They include Kaleigh Hire, Jimmy Kelly, Diego Sepulveda, Christina Roth, Phil Cooke, Shannon Conrad, Tye Schulke, Ben Vermie, Curtis DeVetter and Christian Sogaard.
Bottom photo:
Shannon Conrad wears and oversize secondhand coverall perfect for mucking.
Morning
The day began like every day, at the East Central Iowa Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). Team lead muckers get assignments from VRC staff, round up supplies and account for their crew members.
First, though, Julie Rochford, Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator for Central Cedar Rapids Weed & Seed, hands out packages of baby wipes.
She then talks to the group about replacing filters for respirators used at work sites.
VISTAs pull second-hand coveralls -- affectionately referred to as "onesies" -- over their shorts and Tshirts,
then lace up work boots or pull on rubber boots. The work crews pile into pickups, vans and sedans; check their Google Maps directions to the work site; and head out for a long, hot day of dirty work.
Top photo:
Mucking crews talk in the VRC parking lot Monday, August 4, 2008. VISTAs include Christina Roth, Evan Spells, Natalie Masci, Ryan Neff, Elie Lowenfeld, Rob Hubbard, John Schneider, Tye Schulke and Jasmin Bongiorno.
Middle top photo:
Julie Rochford, Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator, discusses safety and hands wet wipes.
Middle bottom photo:
VISTAs listen to a short safety lesson from Julie Rochford (far right). They include Kaleigh Hire, Jimmy Kelly, Diego Sepulveda, Christina Roth, Phil Cooke, Shannon Conrad, Tye Schulke, Ben Vermie, Curtis DeVetter and Christian Sogaard.
Bottom photo:
Shannon Conrad wears and oversize secondhand coverall perfect for mucking.
