Ankeny Circle of Faith

Meeting minutes from Ankeny Circle of Faith
July 20th 3:30pm

Summerfest Recap: Thanks to everyone who helped with summer fest board signing and ice cream social. It was a hot weekend but was good PR for ACOF. A total of $612.32 was raised from the board signing. $1600 was raised at the ice cream social.

We need to consider next year if the amount raised was worth the time and effort. Some members felt it was worthwhile to get our name out but next year we need a banner that promotes ACOF and not just Habitat. Next year we should also look into negotiating into being on the summer fest grounds and being more visible.

If we look into purchasing an ACOF banner, Brendalyn informed us that we need to look into changing the ACOF logo as it could be considered copyright since it is similar to the Habitat logo. It was mentioned that if we go forward with this we need to look at expansion of the circle not just in Ankeny as we have had interest from areas of Altoona, Polk City, and Elkhart into joining the circle. Ideas out there to change to Northern Polk COF or just go back to Circle of faith.

Financial (Cash + in kind report):
To date funds raised are $15,671.21 in cash. (This includes the above totals from summer fest.)
We are anticipating a Thrivent grant from the SW Polk chapter of $1600. Brendalyn will be applying for this grant. NE Polk Thrivent said no to the grant but sent $800 donation anyway. (This $800 is reflected in total funds raised above)

St. Mary’s from Elkhart took some extra boards and did their own board signing last weekend at a community picnic they were having and raised an additional $200 (this amount is included in to date funds raised above also)

From sign in sheet collected at summer fest we have had interest from an electrician and roofer and a few other retired skill workers. Barney will contact those who signed up and follow-up on their interest. Brendalyn will contact the electrician and check out if they are licensed and what not.

A member of Ankeny Free Church asked why their church was not in the circle, so Barney will follow-up with this and invite them to the circle if interested.
Other surrounding areas such as Elkhart showed interest in wanting to help work on the house.

Ankeny First United Methodist has applied for a $3000 Home depot gift card and Home Depot showed possible interest in skilled workers volunteering.
In kind donations: 72 degrees will be donating furnace.

Congregations present at the meeting report they are continuing with monthly emphasis on Habitat for Humanity and collections are in progress. There are still some boards available if churches would like to do their own board signing. Nancy will be putting together a calendar for August if needed for churches to continue emphasis in August.

Raising the Roof Week: Tues, Sept 23-Sat 27th.
House address: 2117 Washington, Des Moines
Hours 8:15 am to 4:30pm

Partner Family: Agok/Mannon family, the Habitat family partners / homebuyers for the house. The family consists of the father: Alier Agok, mother Adut-Abdalla Mannon, and their three children Diew (1), Agok (4) and Jolia (7). The Agok / Mannon family will celebrate four years in the United States on August 4, 2008. They are refugees from Sudan and attend St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Des Moines. Brendalyn will send out later in the week a profile of this family to you via email.

House Plan: 3 bedroom ranch similar to what we have built before.

Volunteer needs: As soon as possible each congregation should:

a)  Appoint someone to be your congregation’s volunteer coordinator for this house.  (This person should have reliable access to email and voicemail or an answering machine.)

b)      Communicate the name, phone number (home and mobile or work), and email of that person with Steve Maruth at steve.maruth@mchsi.com and/ or Brendalyn at bshird@gdmhabitat.org. 

c)      For now, your congregational volunteer coordinator should focus on recruiting volunteers for Raise the Roof Week, Tuesday, September 23-Saturday, September 27, 2008 only.  (Additional volunteer opportunities have not yet been scheduled for Ankeny Circle of Faith, but they will be!)  For each day of Raise the Roof Week, a total of 20 construction volunteers will be needed.  A minimum of 5 of these volunteers should be skilled and willing to serve as crew leaders, meaning that they will take direction from our Habitat house leader (and supervise a small crew that may be largely unskilled.  A high priority should be placed on finding crew leaders first before recruiting general volunteers.   Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity is providing a house leader. We have 2 skilled crew leaders volunteered so far. The goal during raise the roof week is to frame the house, put up the trusses, start the roof and put in doors and windows.

d)       Steve Maruth from Ankeny First United Methodist will coordinate the master list of volunteers for Raise the Roof week, and keep the group updated on progress regularly.  Your congregation’s volunteer coordinator should email names, contact info. (phone and email), and the day or days people wish to work to Steve at steve.maruth@mchsi.com.   

Right now we are scheduled to work until thanksgiving and take the holidays off and resume work in Jan if needed. Idea is for us to do the raise the roof week and then follow-up in Oct with a mini blitz week so that maybe we only have a few Saturdays to work as it is hard to get people to give up their Saturdays especially during football season!

Habitat is looking at getting another sponsor for this house so we will have to coordinate other dates to work with whatever sponsor is chosen.

Site blessing is being planned for Sunday Sept 21st at 5pm. Plans will include prayer and blessings to the site, safety for family and workers. In past each church representative and the family drives a nail into the cap. Will try to have clergy from churches represented involved in the program if able and willing. Need to work more on this at next meeting.

Community Meeting: The Agok family stated that they were available on Aug 10th if we decide to have a community meeting. Brad, from Latter Day Saints, suggested the idea of having a parent- youth event for the churches/community where the family could share what their life was like in Sudan and lead into the building of the house. Brendalyn and Brad will work on this and get info out if plans work out. Brendalyn will talk with the family and see if they are interested in this.

Workday communications: regarding Saturday workdays-It was suggested that the week prior to your scheduled time you call the Habitat office and talk to the volunteer coordinator and tell them the number of volunteers you have. If inclement weather, habitat will call each churches volunteer contact/coordinator for cancellations or any other concerns regarding the build that day.

Next Meeting: At next meeting will discuss what days are needed for workers and Saturdays needed and plan for 3 day mini blitz build. Meeting tentatively scheduled for Aug 10th at 3:30. We will move it if we firm up the community meeting being planned on Aug 10th. An e-mail will be sent out with info regarding this if changed.