Moose is Loose

While in Alaska, one of the many things that we enjoyed on a nearly daily basis was a visit to "The Moose is Loose" bakery in Soldotna. Known for the "World's Best Apple Fritters", the bakery was home to the largest donut we'd ever seen and "Road Kill Cinnamon Buns". Needless to say, we highly recommend anyone going to Soldotna to visit this wonderful place. The bakery offers a stress diet that may come in handy during those high stressed days when doing initial disaster response in a disaster. Take and use it as you see fit!

Do not forget to visit our website on a regular basis. We are updating it regularly with new photos, stories, news and information, and links to disaster news. While there, sign up for our newsletter to get the inside information and monthly updates from Restoration Point. As always, we appreciate your support, your prayers, and your notes.

Volunteer with Restoration Point

The Work Continues

Happy Monday,

Over the past few weeks we have been working with excellent groups of volunteers to finish three main projects:

• Malcolm's Home: We are currently near completion of the home with some final inspections and buttoning up required before we can hand let the homeowner move-in.
  
• Jordan's Addition: Once we are able to finish the carpet and trap for the sink the new bedroom will be ready for Mr. Jordan and Miss Patsy. They appear to be exited to have a little more room in their house for their big family.
  
• Netto's home: With a few finishing touches we can help to make the home for Miss Netto and her family more comfortable in the coming weeks.

Special thanks to the SOS team (Alabama), Sugarloaf United Methodist Church (Atlanta) , the Boyle family (Indiana) and the Northridge Football team (Indiana) for their great efforts in moving these projects along. I hope that each of these groups had safe trips home. Soon I will post pictures from these projects.

Best,
Joe Fields-Johnson
Restoration Point Summer Intern

Alaska Summary

Happy Independence Day! The last two weeks have flown by and Restoration Point is winding down its inaugural disaster response exercise to the great state of Alaska. Over the last couple weeks we have learned much about the current plans for emergencies on the Kenai Peninsula and have also seen gaps in the plan with regard to volunteer preparation and management. This is an area we anticipate action and planning on our part to assist the Office of Emergency Management for the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB). The team has also gained insight into the culture of this area and how it is an important part when planning and executing a volunteer response to a disaster. The final part of the trip was to assist the Rural Cap program in the area with construction on ten homes. Members of the Restoration Point team assisted in framing three homes (two of which have trusses) and reached the beginning stages of framing on three others. These members even got a chance to participate in an event with Senator Ted Stevens.

We will have a full recap in a press release coming soon and will post it here as well. We are making plans to come next year and are already in the planning stages. Next year will include similar training seminars, more specific disaster-related construction needs, and a possibility for teams to spend time working in the Bush. If you are interested in next year's trip, send us an e-mail and we will keep you posted on the progress and planning of the exercise.

Enjoy this picture of an Alaskan sunset (around midnight) with Mt. Redoubt in the background...one of the volcanoes that borders the KPB!