NECHAMA - Jewish Response to Disaster

NECHAMA is a leading organization when it comes to disaster response in the United States. Their staff is friendly, fun, and well organized. When volunteering with NECHAMA you will certainly know that you are making a positive difference for each family and an entire community.

Having never volunteered in disaster relief, I really didn't know what to expect. I decided on Nechama since their message was clear - mucking and gutting homes/come one, come all. After having served first as a day volunteer and then later as a residential, I couldn't be more pleased with my decision. This organization works so smoothly from top to bottom that it makes things so very simple for all volunteers involved. All anyone needs to do is show up with a good attitude, ready to go and they provide tools and leadership. Without question, I look forward to working for and with them in the near and far future. If you are looking for a group to volunteer with and/or support in any other way you see fit, I highly recommend this exceptional non profit.

I'm trying really hard to find something to be critical of but I just can't. What can I say...they really know what they're doing in this department and have everything covered.

I found Nechama on a website when I wanted to volunteer in Baton Rouge. I spent a week with them and my experience was awesome. The staff, team leaders, and my fellow volunteers were great and hard-working people. Even though it was hard work, it was very rewarding and fun to be working side by side with like-minded people. Many friendships were made as we helped many families.
I would do it again and only with Nechama.

NECHAMA is hands down the BEST nonprofit I've worked with! I'm currently working for NECHAMA as a Team Leader down in Baton Rouge and it has been an amazing experience thus far. I first worked with NECHAMA earlier this year in St Louis while I was in NCCC and couldn't wait to join them again. The staff are the most selfless, caring, organized, and dedicated people I have ever met and same goes for the volunteers that they recruit along the way. It has been a blessing and I am very humbled to be here and to be a part of such a huge effort here in Baton Rouge. Looking forward to working with them again in the future!

I have volunteered with Nechama three separate times within the last year and will be more than happy to volunteer with them again whenever I can. They are a great organization starting with their leadership who are knowledgeable and hard working down to the volunteers they bring in who are always willing to come back because it was such a good experience.

Volunteers of any skill set can volunteer here and make a difference, Nechama has all the tools and leaders who are great and willing to teach. Along with providing housing Nechama makes volunteering easy and cost effective.

Disasters are never good but Nechama has the people, tools and knowledge to make a difference in survivors lives. All they need are more volunteers. Be a volunteer, be the difference, I guarantee you will want to come back again and again!

We partnered with NECHAMA to bring a group of Boston youth to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for a week-long service trip in April 2015. The NECHAMA staff and volunteers were the definition of excellence. Each and every one of them were professional, dedicated, and friendly. The youth quickly bonded with NECHAMA, which led to an empowering and unforgettable experience for them. Thank you, NECHAMA, for providing such an enriching and engaging week of service for our teens! Read about the youths' experience here: http://southbostontoday.com/youth-ambassadors-hurricane-katrina-relief-service-trip-a-great-success/

The Long Island region was brought to its knees by Superstorm Sandy. Disaster groups like NECHAMA came to our aid and lifted us up at a very devastating time not only showing us the ropes but also helping create the organizational teamwork necessary to address such large scale impact . NECHAMA's leadership and volunteers were professional and generous, motivating and kind, productive and sincere, efficient and compassionate--the complete package. They also welcomed local, unskilled talent to assist with relief and recovery work which helped toward community resiliency. We are forever in their debt. Diana O'Neill, Executive Director, Long Island Volunteer Center, an affiliate of HandsOn Network

NECHAMA are life savers!! My community was ravaged by Super Storm Sandy. We were at a loss how to even begin to recover and rebuild. NECHAMA came in and helped restore lives. Thank you!!

This organization, and especially its members, are to be commended on their selfless work to ease the suffering of disaster victims. These people travel from one disaster to another, helping people put their lives back together. We need to thank them and enciurage them andsupport them.

I see the pictures and stories of all the good Nechama does , and I know a few of the people who serve with the organization and the have servant hearts and main goal is to help others.

I worked with a disaater response organizatiln that partnered with Nechama in responding to at least 4 disasters: Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York, flooding in St. Louis, and tornadoes in Washington, Illinois and Moore, Oklahoma. They are an excellent organization. They have wonderful staff and dedicated volunteers, and they get a lot of work done. They are caring, compassionate, unassuming individuals who are well trained and experienced in providing services to disaster survivors. Moreover, they are excellent partners, working well with other organizations to maximize the impact of their work.

After the devastation of Sandy we were very fortunate in working alongside such compassionate and professional people as this organization. I would say we were very fortunate and grateful to have them here to help us in our time of need

I have seen pictures and heard accounts of some of the places they helped with flood disasters. They seem well organized and they all seem to have a genuine desire to help these victims start the recovery. They are very hardworking.

This organization was beyond helpful and resourceful to my clients during an extremely difficult time in their lives .. They gave them hope and helped them to rebuild their homes and rebuild their lives.. Even in the dead of winter, with no heat source , volunteers worked tirelessly to assist my clients ... I can't say enough about this organization, their volunteers and their workers..

A truly wonderful organization filled with dedicated hardworking people who care! I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to work along side of them during a local disaster.

These AWESOME PEOPLE worked and worked and worked in my community after superstorm Sandy and they were nothing short of AWESOME! I helped them, but I am nowhere near their skill set!

Having worked in the recovery process after Hurricane Sandy on Long Island, New York, I can say that NECHAMA is true to its cause, giving comfort and aid selflessly to those who are unable to help themselves. The passion, spirit and dedication of the organization certainly gives residents a sense of hope during recovery, while fulfilling their mission through deeds of loving kindness.

Such a great organization, really committed to helping those in need. They do wonderful work and create a great atmosphere for volunteers to be useful and make a difference. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

I volunteered with Nechama in St. Louis MO. Dorothy was an amazing person continuing to get the work order through and made sure volunteers where having fun and feeling needed. Cody who was a volunteer told many volunteers how to complete work at its finest. Made sure everyone was safe and having a great time. Even though I have worked with both Dorothy and Cody in the same program in the past it was great to see their dedication to help out communities that have been devastated by a natural disaster. Nechama is a great organization and I will volunteer with them again soon!!

I volunteered with Nechama after the flooding in St Louis, MO. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Within just a few hours we cleaned out two basements and got to experience first hand the difference a small group of people can make given the experience and direction Nechama provides. They are a great organization and have done so much to help those that can no longer help themselves. Would highly recommend spending a day or two working with them. Everyone can do their part!

I recently worked with NECHAMA in St. Louis, MO and had a phenomenal experience. The staff was super friendly and helpful. NECHAMA requested the help from an AmeriCorps NCCC team and we were sent out to help muck and gut homes for two weeks. Not only was I able to obtain valuable skills to use in the future, the staff always found a way to make the work enjoyable and meaningful. I would highly recommend anyone to work with this organization should they get the chance!

I worked with NECHAMA for two weeks in St. Louis, MO, and I have nothing but great things to say about that experience. From how well prepared they were for work and to host volunteers, to how attentive they were while explaining the work that needed to get done, they were fantastic. They made my teammates and I feel at home while working with them in St Louis, and the communication and flexibility from all parties made this a fantastic experience! Thanks Dorothy, Cody, and Ross, it was a pleasure working with you all!

I worked with NECHAMA for a little over two weeks in St. Louis after the New Years Floods and it was an absolutely incredible experience. The staff are dedicated to making it a great experience for all volunteers, always willing to teach new skills and appreciating the efforts of the group. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to volunteer with them again, and encourage anyone else to do so as well.

I can not say enough good things about NECHAMA. I worked with this organization in October 2014 and again in January 2015 in Detroit after the flooding in August 2014. The people that work for NECHAMA and the volunteers that I've worked with are deserving of so much love and respect. Because of my experience in Detroit, I have found my passion for disaster relief and recovery. I could not thank this organization enough for pushing me in the right direction and I would be so happy to volunteer with them again.

I volunteered with Nechama in June 2015 to respond to the flooding outside of Austin. They are extremely professional and knowledgeable. The respond to a disaster with so much expertise that it makes being a volunteer very enjoyable because you can see how much good they do. I cannot highly recommend working with Nechama enough.

I first served with NECHAMA on the Itawamba tornado response in Mississippi while serving in AmeriCorps NCCC. They offered such a welcoming and supportive environment to not only the disaster survivors, but also the volunteers. They created an engaging and fun environment, while still making the importance of the work we were doing known. I'm so grateful to know a group of such kind and caring people who continue to motivate and inspire others to do good. My time with them has been some of the most meaningful experiences in my life and I look forward to continuing to serve with them on future responses.

I first started serving with Nechama in 2012 on super-storm Sandy after my first service term with AmeriCorps NCCC. Since then I have been on 3 more disaster deployments 1 of which was with Nechama. I have worked in call centers, mucked and gutted homes, participated in rebuilding efforts, and done just about everything in between. No experience has ever been the same as the one that was offered by Nechama. I have never learned so much, in such a fun environment while working with such incredibly motivated leaders and volunteers. Not only am I thankful for the volunteering and learning opportunities that I have been given through this organization but I am exceptionally grateful to have made some great friends along the way.

I have volunteered with Nechama and along side them and it has always been a meaningful experience. The first time was during Thanksgiving after Hurricane Sandy. They expertly walked the line of making my volunteer experience engaging and fun while still making it clear the importance of the work we were doing and how seriously they were taking it. They were well organized and dedicated to the job, and I walked away with a profound respect for what the Nechama staff is capable of accomplishing.

To preface this review, whatever I say here, would not be enough to even come close to describing how amazing NECHAMA is as an organization. This disaster response group knows how to bring volunteers in and make them feel at home, teaching each volunteer everything they need to know about the project. I've volunteered at about five different disasters with NECHAMA and each time, I have the best experience. The work they do is positively uplifting and is all done with a purpose. It is the most rewarding experience and NECHAMA's approach to helping out at disasters is second to none. NECHAMA reaches out to anyone in need, with no discrimination, which is why I keep going back.

I have been serving along side Nechama for the past three years. Nechama is an amazing organization filled with caring, compassionate people with hearts of service! Their attention to detail and love for what they do not only shows in the way they interact with homeowners but assures a powerful volunteer experience! If you are looking to have a meaningful service experience full of hard work and passion this is your organization where you are sure to get things done while learning from some of the best!

NECHAMA is amazing! I can't speak highly enough about the organization. I worked with them during a year of service, and those three weeks were my favorite part. I helped doing flood disaster relief. The intense impact made by NECHAMA in just a few short days was enough to bring anyone to tears, volunteers and homeowners alike. The team we worked with was phenomenal, helpful and guiding as my team learned to help out. It was a fun, incredible and impacting experience I'll never forget. NECHAMA not only helped the lives of others, but helped my world view change as well. Thanks for all you do, NECHAMA!

When you think of disaster, planning, and subsequent rehabilitation efforts needed to aid a "disaster" affected community, more often than not we think of the disasters we hear and see on the news. But the smaller disasters which don't reach the front pages of news still require tender love and care of the affected communities. This is why I love Nechama, no matter how big or small a disaster, they are there to help the families, home owners, and communities who need it. I had the pleasure of working alongside Nechama in July 2014 during my service year as a corps member in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. We responded to a flood in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Mucking and gutting home in triple degrees weather did not phase anyone because the service we provided was needed and severely lacking. This is also why I spent the month of December volunteering with Nechama in Detroit providing flood relief and will continue to volunteer with Nechama in the future whenever I can. They care about the people who need aid, not about the number of homes or number of grant funding they can receive. No area is out of the question, no person too old or young to help or be helped. It has been an honor volunteering with Nechama and I wholeheartedly recommend volunteering with them to anyone who wants to give back to our wonderful world.

Nechama is amazing! Last summer our community was hit by a devastating flood. Homes and possessions were destroyed and hope was threatened! However, Nechama came into town and lead the way toward recovery! Their personnel, experience, knowledge, resources/equipment and most importantly desire to help people brought our community hope and inspiration. Words can not adequately express my gratitude for Nechama but I will forever be thankful for the way they assisted our community in our time of need.

Volunteering with Nechama has been a life changing experience! The staff on site will go over tools and safety guidelines and training! Everything about this non profit organization is tangible! i now know how to take down dry wall, dismantle heavy objects, gut walls and ceiling tiles, spot mold, sanitize work with other volunteers and work together as a team! I love this organization so much! This organization deserves a lifetime full of stars!

Bill and Mark made it so easy to volunteer with Nechama. I helped with the snow clearing after the blizzards in 2015. They set clear expectations, gave us a mission and we were off! All the people we helped were thrilled with the work and the professionalism of the organization.

I first volunteered with Nechama in Long Island for Sandy response, and have since been on 2 other disaster responses with them. I have fallen in love entirely with Nechama. The people who work for Nechama are some of the most kindhearted and amazing people you could ever hope to meet. They all care so much, to the point where it becomes wildly contagious.
If you are looking for an organization that gets you fired up about getting dirty and working hard for a great cause, you'll feel right at home. I could (and have) speak about how at home I feel with these people, and how indescribably wonderful everything about Nechama is for hours.
These people are my second family, and I cannot wait to do it all over again soon.

Great staff, projects and opportunity to do some great things for the world!

I am an AmeriCorps NCCC team leader who served with Nechama in Detroit mucking and gutting basements from the August 2014 flood. Nechama showed my team the ropes in those basements and guided is through a successful disaster project. They were professional, courteous, thorough and a lot of fun to be around. I would happily work with this organization again, and look forward to seeing them in the future.

Margie and I joined the NECHAMA disaster relief effort in Livonia, AR earlier this year following a devastating tornado. It was our first experience with a hands-on disaster relief effort. We were so very impressed with Dan and Mark that want to create a group who will be ready to respond to a NECHAMA led effort in the Mid-South. For those in the Memphis area, please come by Temple Israel on Sunday, December 7, 2014. We will have an information and sign-up table there between 8:30AM - 1:30PM.

I am an AmeriCorps NCCC team leader and I had the opportunity to serve alongside NECHAMA during the Detroit Flooding of 2014. We were mucking and gutting homes, which I had never done. The people of NECHAMA were the most helpful and positive people I have ever served with. They were extremely knowledgeable and willing to let everyone learn on their own. They made my time in Detroit fun and meaningful. If you ever have the chance to serve alongside any of the NECHAMA staff or volunteers I highly suggest you do so.

Dan and Mark are truly making a difference in the world. In environments of tremendous hardship and tragedy they make helping out a fun and meaningful experience. I can't wait to link up with them again in the near future to continue assisting the less fortunate.

I worked with NECHAMA in January of 2014 to assist with Superstorm Sandy disaster relief in New York. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with them and gained a lot from the experience. The days were well planned and organized and we were able to get a lot of things done in a short amount of time. I felt that I was able to build friendships with the staff as well as the homeowners that we interacted with and this is an aspect of service that is unique or hard to come by. Overall, NECHAMA works as a very efficient organization and has projects that every volunteer can contribute to.

I spent about 7 months with Nechama in NY working on their Hurricane Sandy recovery project. Never in my life have I met a harder working, more passionate group of people. The staff and volunteers at Nechama genuinely love the work they do and the impact they have on the communities they serve goes way beyond the countless physical hours they put in. If you are looking for a well organized, efficient and inspiring nonprofit to volunteer with I highly recommend Nechama.

My family and I traveled from Chicago to NY to help NECHAMA repair homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy. We stayed with NECHAMA's tireless volunteers in an old Army Barracks, shared meals, and worked along side them each day cleaning, repairing, sanding and painting various homes. These folks were so well organized, worked extremely hard, all living on a food budget of several dollars a day (the power of group grocery shopping and cooking). We were inspired by their positive spirit, enduring work ethic, tradesman like expertise, and incredible efficiencies. We received far more via learning and inspiration than we gave in labor and dollars. It was truly one of the most rewarding experiences of our collective lives. Thanks NECHAMA! The Roth Family

I volunteered with them over a couple of days in Southern Indiana. They are very organized and easy to get along with. Overall it was a good experience.

It was great working with them on my AmeriCorps service project helping those impacted by the flooding in metro Detroit. In Seprember 2014, we assisted resident senior citizen in Oak Park, MI to make sure her basement was cleared out. They have a great group that really came in and got the work done. I would work with them again in the future.

I met Nechama the summer of 2014 when they came to oak park Michigan like angels to assist our community with horrible home flooding damages. I volunteered 2 times and was in awe of their can do energy, kindness and
philosophy of helping to repair the world. I cannot praise them high enough and the recipients of their help were in awe and ever so grateful As Nechama volunteers went house to house tearing out moldy basement walls and sanitizing the damaged properties. Nechama is a gem and deserves your support!

My first time volunteering was in the Detroit crisis! NECHAMA staff were well organized, welcomed me, provided all the equipment and protective gear needed for the job. Our team of about 8-10 worked well together. When there was a question or assistance needed all I had to do was ask, and someone pitched right in to get the job done. "Doing good, getting dirty" was a day well spent with this top-notch organization! JS

NECHAMA is awesome. It was a great pleasure working with the volunteers. they are all pleasant and knowledgeable of what to do to assist in helping victims of disaster look forward to quick recovery. I will definitely volunteer with NECHAMA again.

A year ago, I wanted to donate money (for a bad midwest town, hit by a tornado). When I looked on my computer, I saw the Nechama agency. This September (2014), I received an Email (about helping, at the Detroit area, following the August flash floods), I retired two years ago (from 38 years with Mich Social Services) and had been a Red Cross disaster volunteer (for over ten years). I thought, this would be a different way, to express my Jewish feelings (about repairing the world-tekun olam). I have averaged two days, per week (this October) and plan, to finish out, until Oct 31 (when the Americorp volunteers and Nechama, go to other disaster sites). I'm 68, but have tried to keep up and assist the team (in cleaning out the previously flooded basements and tearing out carpeting and paneling sections). I have truly had several, good, physical workouts and have indeed become, quite dirty, yet have found my body energized and my heart very tranquil. Not only, have I experienced a very basic, quantifiable definition, of helping others truly 'dig out' of a rough spot. I have had the extreme pleasure and honor, of working, among young, intelligent, dedicated, hard-working, young adults. Not only, have they renewed my faith (in the 'younger generation'), but, I have experienced a very well coordinated agency (Nechama). I cannot, easily leave the Detroit area (to chase after other disasters), but I can and will track, the blessed works, of Nechama. I will also plan, to send in donations. Most people think, that heroes fly around in capes, drive in Bat Mobiles, and have have super powers. But (truth be told); sometimes, heroes come to help (dressed, in overalls, helpmeets, work gloves, boots, air filter masks, and dedication. Dan and Rachel (the Nechama coordinator and team leader), were kind, patient, tireless, and were 'on top of their games and projects. If they have to come back here (for some other disaster), If I have the time and energy; I'll be their. Outstanding group.

NECHAMA is amazing. I spent a day volunteering with them and was so impressed by their staff, and their willingness to help others.

I have volunteered with Nechama for several years. Recently, it was very personal, as I helped to clean up flood damage on the block that I lived on, in a city where I used to live. Nechama's willingness to travel to disaster sites, and ability to engage local volunteers is a strength of the organization, along with the dedication of key leaders and volunteers.

I spent a week out helping with Hurricane Sandy repair work in mid-2013. The days were very well organized, my time was well spent, I got to know the people's houses we were working on, and I learned a ton!!! I really appreciated the flexibility that the organization had - you could stay for one day or multiple months. I'll definitely be working with this organization again, and highly recommend it for others!

I first worked with NECHAMA in January 2007 as part of their relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. My most recent experience with NECHAMA was in July 2013 when I brought out a group to assist with their efforts on Long Island after Hurricane Sandy. Both times I found the process (from initial sign-up through the actual volunteer date(s)) to be very well organized and the staff to be extremely well trained and knowledgeable. The staff is able to work very quickly to get a group of virtually inexperienced volunteers up to speed about the task at hand. Because of the staff's great guidance, the volunteers feel very accomplished at the end of the day. I am looking forward to volunteering with NECHAMA again!

the heartaches of 2012 left me desperate to do something valuable. maybe because the worst ones shared my name, Sandy.
As I searched for affordable volunteering, looking as far as Guatemala, I realized my childhood home was a 5 hour drive away.
My connection last Feb with NECHAMA in Bayshore was one of the most rewarding weeks I have spent in a decade. The physical and emotional work was equally balanced by support and comradery (and humor) from the volunteers (there for months) and staff.
I was heartbroken leaving with so much to be done and knowing I was only one of many volunteers who would become a part, of the NECHAMA family.
I am looking forward to joining them in rebuilding on Long Island this Winter.

My favorite part about working with Nechama is that Nechama doesn't sit around. Nechama gets to work. I've worked with Nechama three different times since 2010, in Nashville, Milwaukee, and New York. It can be so frustrating waiting on responses from the public sector. It can be discouraging that the private sector ignores those who cannot afford to help themselves in the aftermath of disasters. It is inspiring that Nechama continually responds quickly and efficiently to natural disasters. It is a testament to this great organization that Nechama continues to bring in energetic, willing volunteers, and especially that it has so many return volunteers. Nechama is a reason to be optimistic about our society, as it shines in even the worst of situations. I am proud to have several memories of working with Nechama, and I know I will form more in the years to come.

I have been privileged to work as a volunteer with Nechama on Long Island for the post-Sandy recovery and rebuild. The staff and Field Team Leaders make up an incredibly compassionate and skilled group of people who are dedicated to bringing relief to those who need it most. Following the storm, many of us on Long Island - and across the country - felt a need to do something ... to help. Nechama provided the leadership, expertise and resources, helping families get back into their homes and resume their lives. It's very rewarding as a volunteer, but more important it's a wonderful service for the community. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Nechama.

I am a 72 year old multi- return volunteer. I am also used to working with all age group people to accomplish tasks.
The Nechama model allows rapid integration of volunteers and maximizes their time on site. The jobs are scoped out in advance, materials and tools are always available and they take advantage of the skill level and expertise you already have.

There is a great degree of comfort in knowing working conditions are safe, well monitored and food and housing are more than adequate.

On a more personal level, it has been great meeting, interacting, and helping in the lives of those affected by disaster. This is not only victims but volunteers.

I volunteered with Nechama in Moore OK and also in Lyons CO. They are an incredible group to work with. The staff is very professional and fun to work with in challenging environments. They show up to help immediately after disaster strikes and add tremendous value to the clients the moment they arrive on the scene. I look forward to volunteering with Nechama again in the future.

I have volunteered three different times with NECHAMA doing Hurricane Sandy disaster response work. I have worked with other disaster relief groups, but NECHAMA is by far the most organized and equipped to deliver the relief these clients urgently need. I like the way they scope our the work at the job sites and have the necessary materials and plans ready to hit the job running. Their team leaders treat each client with dignity, respect, and warmth. NECHAMA recruits a wide range of ages, religions, and skills in the volunteers, but they consistently deliver outstanding results by training and motivating the crews.

I plan to volunteer more with NECHAMA.
regards,
John

Big cheers to Nechama! They do amazing work, have an awesome staff, and really do good work for people who need it the most. I spent over a month with them in Lyons, CO after the flooding and it was one of the most rewarding months of my life. And they make it fun to work. I noticed all the volunteers coming back day after day, they felt the same way I did I guess. And look at the reviews. 93 of them, with a 5 star average. That is amazing! Thank you Nechama, and thanks to all of you volunteers who make it possible for Nechama to continue the service that they do.

I have volunteered with Nechama twice this year, once in April and once in August. Both times were on Long Island helping Sandy victims. This organization does a great job of giving people back their lives. They also do a fantastic job of taking absolute strangers (people who volunteer) who may or may not know anything about rehabbing and turn them into a cohesive, productive team. I knew nothing when I went, now I can install insulation, hang dry wall, make mud and apply it, sand and paint, and the biggest thrill of all, I used a sawzall. I have met awesome people both staff and volunteers and I had a great time too. I will continue to support this organization. I plan to go back next year....where ever they need me.

I worked with NECHAMA for five weeks after the flood in Colorado. The organization was great because they looked for people who needed the most help. They were organized and great to work with. NECHAMA is an organization that is accepting of everyone and is really there to do good for others with no agenda. Anyone who has the chance to work with them should take it. Seeing this organization grow in scope will be amazing as they will be able to help more people.

I volunteered with Nechama during Christmas break from an AmeriCorps program. It was absolutely the best use of my vacation. Nechama provided food an lodging for volunteers which made it possible to volunteer for more than one day. I gutted houses, scraped tile off of floors, hauled branches. I met some amazing people, volunteers and homeowners. The homeowners were so appreciative of the work Nechama has done to help them recover from Hurricane Sandy. I was an great experience all around and I have been itchy to get involved again.

I have know about Nechama for some time, but was particularly drawn to their rebuilding efforts in Long Island, NY as I felt it would be a great opportunity to use my building skills to work to help others. The team was well organized, planning everything the night before, having the supplies and equipment ready, and mixing abilities to make sure things were done well. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with other volunteers across age and skill levels. We had a team of high school students on their vacation working with us, and I know they learned a lot. The field leaders for Nechama were great at mixing practicality and humor to make it a worth while experience. I am already trying to find another opportunity in my schedule to join them again.

I was serving with AmeriCorps NCCC, and I got the wonderful opportunity to serve with Nechama. I thoroughly enjoyed working with them and their passion for the work they do really showed. I would work with them again if I could in the future!

My team and I just got done serving with Nechama for 5 weeks in Colorado. We are in AmeriCorps NCCC and we work with a lot of different non-profits throughout our service year and I can confidently say that Nechama is the best experience we have had so far. They are organized, helpful and always upbeat. Though it is a Jewish organization, being non-jewish was never something I even thought about while serving with them. They are all inclusive and have accomplished so much and will continue to.

I volunteered with NECHAMA after Hurricane Sandy hit NY and NJ. The staff and volunteers of NECHAMA showed incredible work ethic and compassion for local home-owners who were affected by the storm.

I have spent time with NECHAMA at multiple different natural disasters over the past year. It has been a beautiful experience to see what they do first hand. They offer a wonderful experience to each of their volunteers, while providing compassion, all their resources, and experienced leadership to help those in most need. NECHAMA is changing the world for the better.

I am currently serving with AmeriCorpa NCCC and my last project was serving with NECHAMA in Colorado for 5 weeks helping to muck and gutt the homes of flood victims. This organization goes above and beyond to help the victims, the volunteers, and the community. They are willing to step in and lend a hand to other non profits in the area helping without hesitation. This organization has lead me to believe I can do more!

NECHAMA is one of the beast Disaster Response out there. There goals to make to world a better place by you good deed at a time, and there wills to help anyone who need help is a great thing to see in this day and age.

I am the past Executive Director of Catholic United FinanciaL Foundation and the person responsible for starting Catholic United Response. Without the cooperation, friendship and leaderhip of the staff and board of NECHAMA we would not exist as another disaster response organization. I tell everyone our story of how we are modeled after NECHAMA and how they served as mentors, trainers and friends throughout the planning and development of our response team. We continue to seek their leadership and guidance as we know they are the BEST. I know as an organization they operate on a very tight budget and need not only your volunteer support but financial support.

Fantastic organization! I have never felt more like I was doing something good for the world than when I was working with them. Though I was only 19 when I worked with them, it was by far the most eye opening experience of my life. It wasn't just that we were helping people pick up their lives after a tragic experience. My time with Nechama woke a part of me up I didn't know existed before. I felt more like myself in the month I was with them than I ever had before in my life. Through the rest of my life, I will always look back on my time with Nechama with affection. It will serve as a constant reminder of what kindhearted, driven people can accomplish when they decide to work together. It will also serve as a constant reminder of what I can do. So much of what we accomplish in life is dependent on what we think we can accomplish. I will always be grateful the Nechama for reminding me that I can do more than I think I can.

I worked with Nechama in Alabama, helping to clean up from the terrible tornados in May 2011. They were so nice and helpful-really enabling us to do effective and fun relief work.

My wife and I heared a presentation about Nechama and decided to do something. We travel to New Orleans twice at our own expense, we been to Hugo MN, as well as southern MN. I have worked in the office my wife has gone to Iowato help. We arenow to old to travel and work a full day but we support Nechama with monthly monetary donations.Why? because as Jews we need to leave this eartyh in bettter shape than when we arrived on the scene,. Nechama is an agency for repair of the earth nechama is staffed with great employees.We have met some wonderful mentsches in our deployments. Ed Pickett and Jan Leach

Nechama came to the rescue of Louisville, Ky in 2009 when we had a surprise heavy rainfall. They were a self-contained mobile rescue operation with all the tools, expertise and leaders to guide our volunteers in the clean-up effort. The Nechama folks are great, caring people. A testament to their loyalty are those who come back and volunteer in other areas just to work with the folks from Nechama. You know you're going to have a good volunteer experience in a difficult situation with these trusted leaders. I would work with them again and have referred friends to them throughout the country. They serve a very worthwhile, non-denominational service.

I worked with Nechama during the spring of 2011 throughout Mississippi after tornadoes ravaged the region. The organization was an all inclusive experience of disaster relief. I spent time doing search and rescue, as well as relief, it was a life changing experience and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that Nechama provided to me. The service they provide is paramount and I hope that the organization continues to flourish. I am proud to have been a part of such an amazing organization.

I worked with NECHAMA during the TN Spring floods of 2010. They trained and provided leadership to over 80 AmeriCorps members from across the country. As the federal disaster coordinator directing these crews, I was constantly impressed with NECHAMA's want to serve the community. NECHAMA consistently followed through on committments to train, educate, lead, direct, and support volunteers in the field. Their focus on serving all residents in affected communities was always central to their work. Their coordination with other agencies and the quality of services they provided were second to none. Before I met Dan and NECHAMA I worked on the ground for 6 months post Hurricane Katrina, 2 months post Hurricane Ike and managed thousands of AmeriCorps teams on disaster from base for 5 years. The services NECHAMA provides are second to none. If you have the chance to work with them...do not pass it up!

I have had the great fortune of volunteering with NECHAMA for 15 years. While I am the Board (though I swore that I would never attend another meeting after I retired) my real passion is working as a volunteer in the field after the disaster. This is where I meet and work with some of the greatest people in the world -- both the other volunteers and our clients, the disaster victims. NECHAMA has built it's reputation based on the simple principle of "how can we continue to provide better service to our clients ..... those who have lost so much, so suddenly. The staff, though incredibly small in number, are among the most dedicated and compassionate people I have known. I can not count how many times I have heard a spontaneous comment from a volunteer say, "This has been a life changing experience. I certainly has for me!!

I really like that i can work with my family with NECHAMA. I have been to 3 tornado clean ups and 1 flood clean up. i really like it when the people who own the house thank us and smile because they have their house back.

I serve as the Assistant Director for The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services of Minnesota & North Dakota. I can say without a doubt, that the work of Nechama is nothing less than outstanding. You wouldn't know that they are a small agency with few resources, because they travel the entire country bringing relief and hope to those communities in need. I am proud of the work they do. Collaborating together, Nechama, The Salvation Army, and our other VOAD partners are able to solve complex problems to unforeseen challenges. When they are not responding to disasters, they are actively involved in training and other preparedness related activities with their government and non-government partners.

I enjoy working with NECHAMA because I feel fulfilled with the kind of work that we do. I enjoy working with the equipment, the staff, volunteers but mostly, helping those who are in need.

I first came to NECHAMA as an unwilling volunteer at the age of 16. Packed off on a deployment to St. Peter, MN in 1998, I actually had a horrible time. But some part of me must of loved it, because all through college I came back and back again. After college, I went to work for the organization and spent 5 years with them. I've now engaged with NECHAMA as a volunteer, an employee, a donor, and now as a partner in the field of disaster response/emergency management and there are few organizations that make such an impact. Foremost in my mind is NECHAMA's focus on the mission: providing comfort to disaster survivors. They have been flexible in the field, always pivoting to meet the needs they see. They have been a critical part of disaster response in the upper midwest, and a key partner to the other organizations and government agencies they have worked with. And finally, for me, they were a critical connection to a Judaism that I hadn't mattered to me before I worked with them. Today, I am a disaster response/emergency management professional and a Jew because of NECHAMA.

I have volunteered with NECHAMA on multiple occasions and have found the experience rewarding each and every time. Knowing almost nothing about emergency management and even less about cleaning up following floods or tornadoes, NECHAMA offered me the chance to travel with them and they taught me what I needed to know as we progressed through the cleanup process. Everything was done with safety in mind and most importantly, was done to assist the homeowners with nothing expected in return. After a short time, NECHAMA had me leading teams of volunteers in these efforts as I had gained enough knowledge to become a leader in the process. This organization is built solely on giving back to those most in need and is one that excels at doing just that. I have become a professional in this field since my time volunteering there thanks to their efforts.

NECHAMA helped our non-profit when our area was hit by a severe tornado-like storm. We called and they were there at dawn with chainsaws and skilled volunteers, clearing our road and helping us put our facility back in working order so we could open the doors to our clients. They are well-organized and easy to work with.

Stayed/Worked with them during the Nashville flood cleanup of 2010. The job included standard flood cleanup jobs. Gut, remove debris, sanitize. Nechama was easier to work with than most other groups I've worked with. Great bunch of people, knew their stuff, and had the tools to get the job done. I guess their biggest weakness is the lack of manpower. Disaster relief is expensive, so they relied heavily on volunteers for their labor force. However, even when the work force wasn't there, they got the job done. I was working with 3 other people on a job site of clearing a basement. We were exhausted and just wanted the day to be over. Not one of us quit until that basement was cleared out (the moldy insulation was already effecting the homeowner). Another point that I really liked about Nechama was that they did not push their religion onto me as so many other religious groups tend to do. I'm Catholic, they are Jewish based, it didn't matter at all and I actually learned a lot about Judaism over those three weeks. One more point that always stands out after these trips are the amount of thank you's that you receive from people. Nechama is helping the elderly and the poor move on from an extremely traumatic experience. Without Nechama, they would likely be in the same positions a year later, with no way of cleaning out their house on their own. These people have fallen through the cracks of society's safety net, and Nechama was there to catch them.

NECHAMA is one of the world's best kept secrets that should get out. As victims of the RI floods of 2010, we were,for the first time in our lives, on the receiving, instead of the giving, end of disaster relief. To say we were overwhelmed and shocked with the 12" of water that kept seeping into our finished basement, as a result of the freak flood, is putting it mildly. Along came Dan Hoeft and his crew, who knew just what to do and came prepared with every pump, tool, and even cleaning supplies to get us on the road to recovery. They worked tirelessly for two days at my house and came back the next day and helped my neighbor. I praise their skill, compassion, and advice and am so thankful for their help. What a smooth non-profit organization they are!

I first met NECHAMA: The Jewish Response to Disaster in September 2005 immediately after Hurricane Katrina decimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast and, by overwhelming the poorly constructed levees, New Orleans. I was serving as lead staff for the United Jewish Communities (now Jewish Federations of North America) Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Mitigation Committee. In that role, I was responsible to help coordinate the resources of all Jewish non-profit organizations as the Jewish community responded with money and hands-on resources to the immediate and long-tern needs of victims in the disaster zones and in evacuee host communities. NECHAMA immediately deployed two full trucks/teams to the outskirts of New Orleans and UJC helped support its efforts with several grants. NECHAMA drew hundreds/perhaps thousands of volunteers to its work sites over an extended stay in the region and helped gutt and prepare for rebuilding hundreds of homes in the region. In August 2006, my wife and two sons joined me for a week's deployment with NECHAMA where we worked alogside volunteers from several states in three different homes that week. In one case, the homeowner, an African American lay church leader, told us that in the entire year since Katrina hit, the only people who reached out to help him clean his home were the volunteers provided by NECHAMA. In subsequent years, I spent some time visiting work crews deployed in Atlanta and helped facilitate arrangements for NECHAMA deployments in upstate New York and Nashville. This is an organization which, with very limited financial and human resources, provides immeasurable benefits to victims in their darkest moments after a disaster strikes. Its volunteer and professional leadership is selfless and totally committed to the Jewish tradition of "Tikkun Olam", healing the world. In light of all the good it has done and continues to do, NECHAMA should be recognized for its efforts as a world-class volunteer, non-government organization.

I have worked with NECHAMA on several occasions over the past 4 or 5 years and find them to be top notch in disaster response. I have come to rely on them as a primary partner in every disaster I have managed. Keep up the great work and I look forward to working with you again in 2012 and many years beyond.

A couple years back I got the opportunity to work with NECHAMA when they came to Fargo/Moorhead to help with the rising waters. My uncle Dan and his team had come to visit my sister and I the night before, and had asked if I wanted to help them out. I had said yes. We went fix up the basement of a house, cleaning and reattaching pipes and putting in new sheet rock and such. The way that the workers handled the volunteers was incredible, they knew the answers to all the questions and not one body was simply standing around. They had all the equipment that they needed to keep volunteers safe as well as working. If someone didn't know how to do something they'd simply show them and move on to do other things. The whole experience was incredible. It is a great thing that they do.

I was fortunate enough to work with Nechama also, while in Nashville to help with the floods as an AmeriCorps NCCC member. During that time, I got to work closely with Dan. He treated all the home owners in need with great respect, and he made sure the group I was with, knew exactly what we were doing. Once we got the skills down, we were even given one of the trailers to break off on our own, to further help the Nashville community since he felt so comfortable with our groups work ethics to entrust us with his organization supplies until our project came to an end. Dan was a friendly, caring, dedicated and humorous guy who made working with Nechama a true pleasure

I was allowed to pleasure of working with Dan and Nechama in Nashville Tennessee right after the floods in 2010. I was a Corps member in Americorps NCCC, and Nechama proved to be the absolute best organization I worked with. Unlike many other non profits I worked with, Nechama was very quick about getting things done in the field. They don't waste any time; they identify the problem and do what they can to fix it. They also recognize when someone is able to accept responsibilities and delegate work to become more efficient, and in turn help more people. I was one of the many who was trusted to take on more responsibilities, assessing homes and leading crews of volunteers to help the victims of the flood. As bad as disasters can be, Nechama are the BEST at helping people move forward.

Nechama is the best in the country at flood recovery! I have had the pleasure of working with Dan and Nechama in a few states and their commitment to the cause is incredible! Keep up the awesome work and I look forward to working with Nechama at the next available oppurtunity.

I worked with Nechama as a member of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the towns of Hammond, Oronoco, and Zumbrota Minnesota. It is this organization that inspired me to not only finish a Master's degree in Nursing but to pursue a career doing International Disaster Relief. I have NEVER worked with a better organization. It may seem like an exaggeration, but it's very true. The communities that we worked in where in desperate need and Nechama was there from the moment the flood water receded. The people in the community knew our supervisors by name, because they had gone in and talked to everyone about their needs and fears... they had listened to the stories about what had happened. I am so glad for the time that I was able to work Nechama... I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Before volunteering with Nechama, I had no idea what disaster relief was all about. There is no way to understand the complexities of demolition and repair after natural disasters without caring and dedicated guidance. The individual attention and care each volunteer receives from the staff at Nechama illustrates their incredible passion for their work. After the staff showed the volunteers how to utilize the tools properly, they had confidence and trust in us to work independently. It is because of my service mission to Birmingham, AL that I was so inspired to continue working with Nechama in New Jersey after Hurricane Irene. Keep up the great work Nechama, and continue inspiring us all!

Last May I had the privelege to work for Nechama in Birmingham, Alabama. We aided tornado victims whose homes had been ruined and we helped get them started on the rebuilding process. On this trip, I got to see what a difference Nechama makes on people's lives, and how when Nechama helps someone they do so with care and sensitivity. But like many acts of kindness, often the largest beneficiary is the one who is giving, and this is no exception. Nechama helps both victims of disaster, and those who volunteer to help victims of disaster. This is why they are such a significant organization.

I have only known of Nechama for a few years but I have been very impressed by what I've seen. I watch their website and keep up with their deployments because it is fascinating to see how hard they work. I've been to their office/warehouse and found it very interesting - the equipment is fascinatina and when I met some of the board members and saw how committed they are I could see what a wonderful organization this is. They get nothing in return but the wonderful feeling of helping others.

Along with fellow students from Yeshiva University (as part of the Center for the Jewish Future), I participated in a service mission to Birmingham with Nechama to help in relief efforts after the tornadoes this past summer (summer 2011). Our group's experience with Nechama was truly inspirational. We learned how to work as a team to help people we never met before in our lives. We learned that good people and good hearts who are willing to work hard could touch those who have suffered and make a difference in their lives. Thank you Nechama and may you continue to have success in your future selfless endeavors.

I went to Alabama the CJF and Nechama together. They helped us to accomplish thigns we never thought we could! The staff and entire organization helps so many. They do everything they can with sensitivity, care and love. Even if they spend a week on just one house, to Nechama, each and every person matters. I trust Nechama and would volunteer for them again in a heartbeat!

Last April, we were out of town when we received a phone call asking if we were ok. A tornado had gone through our back yard and we didn't know if we had anything left. It wasn't until the next morning that I got home to see that our house was still standing, although very difficult to see under all the fallen trees. The tornado had picked up the woods at the back of our yard and dropped them on our house and our yard had disappeared under the tangled pile of fallen trees that was taller than our house. A few days later, the people from Nechama came knocking on our door, asking if they could help. They spent several days working in less than ideal conditions. While it was warm when the tornado came through, the typical Wisconsin weather returned and they worked through the cold and snow to clear our yard and our house of debris. Without their help, I don't know how long it would have taken us to get everything back to normal. This organization did so much for us and for our neighborhood in the weeks after the tornado. I can't begin to describe how wonderful they were for all of us!

Ever since I found out about NECHAMA at an open house three years ago, I have been hooked. I have had the opportunity to volunteer with NECHAMA both in Eden Prairie and out on deployments. At first I saw an opportunity to work on all the cool stuff in the trailers. On my trip to Nashville I found myself completely removed from "my normal", helping people that if not for NECHAMA, most likely would not have had any help. One day. we where cleaning out a house for an elderly man, in a neighborhood of small simple houses, It seemed to me, that this elderly man did not have much in a neighborhood of people without much. By the time we showed up the house was empty of its contents but for pictures of his granddaughter. He was so proud of her and her military accomplishments. That seemed to be his most valuable possession, a picture of his granddaughter I experienced from this man such deep appreciation that someone, not only from outside his neighborhood, but "Jews" where here to help him. I felt that the help we brought was something he never would have expected in a million years. I felt his appreciation and thanks in my sole. That one encounter was all I needed to do more. Now, any time someone thanks me for the work I do with NECHAMA, my eyes tear up. I don't get it. Thank you NECHAMA for giving me the opportunity to help others for no other reason than they need help and if we don't help, who will?.

I have been volunteering with Nechama since 2006. The first time I volunteered with them was in New Orleans, since then I've worked with Nechama in Birmingham AL and Bergen County NJ. Every time we work together it's an incredibly rewarding experience. Their staff is so dedicated to making sure the volunteers have a safe and meaningful experience and that the homeowners are treated with respect and care. When I was with Nechama in Birmingham in June 2011, our bus driver was so inspired by the work we were doing with Nechama, he rolled up his sleeves and volunteered with us, he even committed to bringing his church down to help out. Working with Nechama has truly changed my life as well as the lives of all of the Yeshiva University students I've brought along with me to volunteer. They are truly making a difference in the Jewish community and in the disaster relief community. I hope there won't be a need for disaster relief work in the future but if there is the first people I would call would be Nechama.

2009 was a very stressful year for Linton, ND. Our flood devastated many many homes in our county. It was the perfect storm in which 3 cricks thawed on one day after a Thunderstorm in March. This was followed by 22 inches of snow in a 48 hour period. The word spread about our situation and Nechama was the first to come. We established trust within hours of their arrival. They followed through with what they said and did the right thing time and again. The first week they helped organize living quarters for volunteers to come in and clean flooded homes and farms. They attended leadership meetings and offered support. They treated us as if we were their own. Individual home owners still ask how 'Dan' is! We still feel their shield of peace and strength even though it has been 3 years and miles between. With their help we rose to the occasion and came out stronger!

A couple of years ago I found myself unemployed and trying to fill time between resumes and job applications- when I heard that Rhode Island had gone through record-breaking severe flooding...knowing I was only a road-trip away, I wondered how I could help. Through the power of the internet, I came upon Nechama, and was inspired by their mission and personal stories. It didn't take long to see and feel the tremendous passion that their staff put into their work, and how quickly I felt at home with their team. I have shared with friends and family my experience, and truly feel grateful for the incredible opportunity they gave me, by allowing me to give of my time, my labor, and my heart during a community's time of need.

While I came through Hurricane Irene unscathed, many other people in Bergen County, NJ, where I live, weren't so lucky. Nechama gave me the opportunity to help my neighbors with thorough, professional, individualized, and compassionate clean up of wind and water damage. Nechama's tireless staff models the organization's mission "to do good getting dirty." I am honored that Nechama let me help; trained me to safely use all kinds of tools; reminded me that misfortune knows no race, creed, or color; and now calls me a friend.

An amazing organization that takes the eternal values of the Jewish tradition as learned through our texts and applies them directly with our hands and feet! This is an important way to make the world a better place especially when people are in the midst of the challenge of recovery than to be present to them through the work of NECHAMA!

Nechama gave us a great tour of their facility back in January. They did a wonderful job of explaining their organizations mission and how they help during natural disasters. I am a youth director for a synagogue and brought my youth group members. They had a great time watching the movie, touring the garage, looking at the tools and eating MRE meals!

A close friend of mine has been a Nechama volunteer for years. When the tornado rolled through north Minneapolis this past summer, I asked her to copy me on any email requests fro volunteers which she received from them. My place of emplyment is just down the road from their headquarters and, after receiving a forwarded request for volunteers, I was able to quickly contact them and plug myself in to their disaster relief effort. The fact that they have staff trained in disaster response enabled them to assemble a group of volunteers (myself included) in a van equipped with every conceivable tool and piece of equipment we might need, drive right to command central for the relief effort, move to the head of the volunteer registration and then deploy to the actual disaster area and begin working in astonishingly short order. I learned throughout the course of that day and the next few days of working with the team that this was the 'B Squad' as Nechama already had several other teams out working in other disaster locations outside of Minnesota. They might have been the backup squad but they functioned like an 'A Team'. I had a wonderful time working with this group and had the opportunity to meet and work side by side with some wonderful individuals while at the same time bringing much needed relief to some of my fellow Minnesotans who had their lives disrupted by this terrible storm. I'm not Jewish or even religious in any sense of the word but felt as though I was as welcome and as much a part of their team as anyone else. I have gone back and volunteered my time helping them to clean and reorganize their equipment and, I look forward to the next opportunity I will have to get out in the field and assist them with some local disaster relief.

Nechama is simply a wonderful organization. The time I have spent working with them has been nothing but rewarding, even on cold rainy/snowy days, even on blistering hot days. I've slept on church floors, in trucks, in converted grocery stores and in FEMA camps but always a good night sleep after a hard days work. As a firefighter/emt/rescue tech I volunteered with Nechama for 3 weeks in 2006 after Katrina. i ended up actually working for them helping run the deployments and helping with equipment upkeep. One of the great things about Nechama is their agility - they don't have to send requisition forms to 5 different departments to get things done, they just do them. They are well versed in the technical as well as the personal side of disaster management, Furthermore the cooperation with so many other faith based and governmental organizations has been wonderful. I strongly recommend working with Nechama as a volunteer, donor or if misfortune strikes, as a client.

NECHAMA is a truly wonderful organization. Their exceptional care and dedicated staff are unparalleled compared to other similar organizations.

I had the privilege of working with Nechama in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after a flood had hit the area. We spent a long time mucking and gutting basements for people who did not have the means, ability, or knowledge to do so themselves. They stayed longer than any other organization in the area and made a huge impact in a time of need. I am grateful for having had the chance to work with them. This is a dedicated organization that not only prioritizes helping people in need but, safety and preparation as well. They are well outfitted and prepared to handle wind and water damage and can boast some of the best stocked tool/supply trailers I've ever seen. The most important things about them, I believe, is their efficiency and planning. These factors add up to an exceptional organization, capable of helping people in hopeless situations with speed and effectiveness. If you have a chance to work with these people it will be something you never forget.

I have been working with Nechama ever since i can remember. My parent s brought me along to a disaster relief job and I had a blast. I feel really good when I help people that have lost their home and many other things because I actually know what I'm doing. Volunteering with Nechama and even 8 Days Of Hope has changed my life completely. They showed me that I'm not just ment to go to school and get a job like every other normal teenager, they showed me that i can get out there and do something better with the gifts and knowledge god gave me:)

I have had the honor to work with NECHAMA in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota. I always have had rewarding deployments working with the great team that NECHAMA has devloped. I always look forward to teaming up with NECHAMA to help people in recovering from disasters. I would highly recommend for anyone to help NECHAMA with labor and or funding, they are a wonderful group.

I volunteered with my family in North Mpls. I really enjoyed being able to work and clean up other people's yards. I felt really good in the end because I knew I did a really good thing.

The group that came from New Jersey did a very good job helping us to restore our small country church in SE MN. They helped scrape paint, clean up the yard. I enjoyed working with the young people that came, they were courteous, full of energy and even though they were Jewish, they didn't mind working on a Christian Church.

In the last five years, Nechama has come to have a much of a place in my heart as my friends and family. My first deployment was to a small synagogue in Iowa, where they were hit with a tornado. Although the building remained intact, the surrounding area of strewn with branches, trash and various debris. After a hard day's work, it felt so good to look around and realize that this synagogue was that much farther on the path to reopening for its' congregants. From then on, I volunteered as much as I could, traveling around Minnesota on deployments and helping out in the office. Nechama has changed so many lives for the better, and in the process taught its' volunteers many incredible life lessons.

I am the President of a disaster relief organization called The Traveling Angels, we frequently work with Nechama on projects. Their tool trailer is awesome, we have the volunteers but don't have the tools, so that is nice. Not to mention everyone I have worked with at Nechama has been great, especially Dan and Gene. Exceptionally great organization.

I have been a disaster volunteer since 2006. I became aware of NECHAMA in 2008 when I volunteered with them in Oak Island, TX. Volunteering through NECHAMA makes it easier for me. It is always ready to deploy when needed and it is always willing to use me when I am available to help. The mobile tools trailer is such an asset. It has what is needed for helping those who are in need or if it doesn't have it, it will get it or figure out an alternative. I appreciate that the donated funds appear to be stretched as far as they can go. The few paid employees share the same accommodations, generally, as I do when I'm volunteering - meaning the cot and sleeping bag are sufficient as well as the makeshift shower and donated meals. I am wealthy in time and labor, but not monetarily. NECHAMA helps make it possible for me to fulfill what I have been called to do - to serve others - because usually my only expense is my transportation to the disaster. To summarize, I have volunteered through NECHAMA in Oak Island, TX; Waterloo, IA; Oronoco & surrounding area, MN; Wadena, MN; Minot, ND; and St. Stephens & surrounding area, MN

I am a youth adviser for 7th and 8th graders in the area. I took my group for a tour of NECHAMA and it was fantastic! This was a very eye-opening event for some of them who had never considered the impact that a disaster might have on their own homes, much less a family who had very few resources. At the end of the day, the kids had a good idea of the wonderful work that NECHAMA does to help communities in need. They were also enthusiastic about volunteering with NECHAMA in the future. I very strongly recommend NECHAMA.

I am the pastor of a small rural church in SE MN. This historic building had suffered water damage a few years before we came to serve there. We contacted Dan at Nechama to see if there was any break in their busy schedule to help us. Nechama has the expertise to do this kind of work, and the equipment to get it done. So a small crew from Nechama came and cleaned and gutted out the church basement in just two days. I and my family learned a lot as we worked along side Nechama. A month later after the severe flooding in two neighboring communities, we were able to work alongside Nechame with an Americorp team in the town of Hammond MN. It is great to work with a group that knows what they are doing.

Nechama provides the volunteer with outstanding training, strong onsite leadership and quality equipment. The mission of anyone being able to join their workers at the site of the disaster is truly wonderful and has allowed locals to join in and help themselves and other around them. This policy has provided the volunteer with a better understanding of the community in which they are working and a better connection to the whole community.

The survey lets you pick one "Role" from the list - "Volunteer", "Client", "Board Member", etc. I have been fortunate to have been at one time, ALL of the above choices. As a volunteer, I worked in New Orleans. As an employee, I worked in Western Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota. As a board member, I worked in Southern Minnesota, Northern Minnesota and Minneapolis. And as a client right in my own home and neighborhood. The reason I am a board member now is because Nechama so intimately touched my heart, soul and existence that I had to be a part of the organization. I simply cannot put into words what Nechama has done for me. Nechama mucked and mopped out my house, and Nechama mucked and mopped out my life. Working for them was the best thing I ever did. Nechama is small, but pound for pound, it is the most effective non-profit ever. You will never find a non-profit of this size with this much reach and impact.

People want to control their lives but when Weather disasters happen, they are exposed to this unpredictable turn of events. This is where Nechama excels. They help bring assistance to those who need help with clean up after a storm or flood has affected whole neighborhoods. I have been a volunteer doing debris clearing. I have helped with fund raising and gladly share what I can by donating cash that can be used to buy supplies, perform maintenance on their equipment. What a worthy non-profit. What an positive impact it makes on people who just do not know where to turn in this emergency for which they have no control.

I joined the Board of NECHAMA in November 2009 moved by the mission to provide clean up and recovery services to uninsured and under-insured homeowners in the aftermath of flooding and devastating wind related storm damage and to represent the Jewish community in providing these services. During my tenure with NECHAMA, I have come to understand the critical role that faith based organizations like NECHAMA play in our national system of emergency management and disaster recovery by coordinating with national, state and local emergency management professionals, recruiting and supervising volunteers, providing much needed equipment and manpower, and doing the hands on work necessary to help disaster ravaged communities begin the recovery and rebuilding process. NECHAMA has a stellar reputation among emergency management professionals and disaster recovery organizations nationwide for its response and readiness capabilities, willingness to oversee unaffiliated volunteers, and willingness and ability to train other volunteer organizations to perform recovery work. The work of NECHAMA is gratifying not only for the comfort and support our work brings to disaster survivors and their communities without regard to religion, race or economic circumstances, but also because NECHAMA provides a positive reflection of the Jewish community and Jewish values to the community at large, affords members of our community a platform to live out their Jewish values by helping with disaster recovery as donors or volunteers, and builds bridges between members of the Jewish community and other ethnic and faith based groups as we work side by side for the common good.

Nechama is a wonderful organization that brings great happiness and tranquility to the lives of many different people. They support and care for people in their greatest time of need. I was very fortunate to go on a trip with Nechama to Minnesota in October 2010. The trip completely transformed all of the participants. The Nechama staff was very inspiring, as they taught us the gold standard on kindness and compassion.

I worked with NECHAMA in Birmingham, AL after a Tornado hit the town. NECHAMA was such a pleasure to work with. Dan and the entire crew were patient, fun and great teachers. They taught us how to use power tools and deconstruct a house. I had the best time working with them, it was a great experience I hope to repeat this summer! Thanks guys!!!

I had the incredible opportunity to both volunteer with and later be a staff member with NECHAMA. I cannot say enough about my experiences, suffice to say that there is no greater feeling than to help people when they have lost everything. The time that I spent with NECHAMA ranks among the best experiences I've ever had.

I have had the opportunity to volunteer with Nechama on several occasions in the field and "behind the scenes" at their facility. It is quite apparent that everyone involved with the organization is very loyal and dedicated to helping others. The first time I volunteered for Nechama was after flooding in Iowa. Amazingly, this was several months after the floods. I was surprised that once the media hipe of the disaster is over and the community starts loosing funding and help, there was Nechama! They are there to the very end making sure that everyone that needs help, gets it. I will definately work with Nechama in the future!

Nechama has always been one of my most trusted partners in the disaster response field. Nechama lives out its mission with integrity and consistency. You can trust Nechama. Nechama's volunteers and staff are leaders in the field and I am proud to be counted among their friends. Kevin Massey, former Director - Lutheran Disaster Response, former Board Member, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

Over the past several years I’ve worked with Nechama on two separate occasions; Nashiville, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky. On both occasions the Nechama team was extremely professional and dedicated to supporting the local community. There dedication and commitment to supporting others is evident by their actions. Nechama provides coaching / training for the other volunteers. Nechama show compassion and support for the people effected and Nechama truly makes a difference in peoples lives. Most importantly, Nechama not only takes care of those effected by the disaster, they have a way of influencing others to make a positive difference.

I have opportunities to volunteer with Nechama and assist with the flooding in SE Minnesota. The agency and the volunteers involved have true dedication to helping those in times of disaster. The agency is open and accepting of all volunteers and provides a great opportunity to provide to those that are in need of assistance. Volunteering with Nechama provides a great opportunity to really make an impact on people's lives- dealing with a disaster is a very traumatic event and its an asset to have an organization like this that can come in and provide a helping hand. I have to give a lot of credit to the volunteers and coordinators that truely take time out of their lives to serve and help others.

I had the opportunity to volunteer with Nechama in New Orleans, Iowa, and Alabama and was impressed with the organization each time. The group leaders helped us to learn the skills needed to deconstruct homes that had been hit by a hurricane or flood. We were given great instruction and a chance to help a families impacted by disaster. Nechama, the Jewish responce to disaster, brings people of all faiths togethr to help any family in need.

I was a volunteer with Nechama on two different occasions. My first experience with them was during this past summer in Birmingham, Alabama to assist with damage done by a Tornado. My second time serving with them was later that summer in New Jersey to help a family whose house sustained severe flood damage. The leaders of Nechama are not only some of the coolest dudes I have ever met but they are also professional and knowledgable when it comes to disaster relief. The Nechama staff gave us thorough training before we started to work and then remained a constant presence on the work sites during the duration of our volunteering. It should also be noted that Nechama does an exceptional job at ensuring the safety of its volunteers on site despite the dangerous nature of locations that have suffered damage. I have done 2 trips with Nechama in the past and i look forward to doing more in the future.

I've volunteered with Nechama several times, most memorably on two week-long trips to Mississippi and Louisiana to help clean up after Hurricane Katrina. I met some of the most amazing people (both volunteers and locals) and did some of the hardest (and most rewarding) work of my life on those trips. I have consistently been impressed with Nechama's organization, transparency, and dedication to its ideals. I just can't say enough positive things about it.

I volunteered with Nechama in Iowa after the flooding in 2009. The staff was the perfect balance of friendly and professional so that work got done, but you could still enjoy being with other volunteers. They had the tools necessary, and have been improving their care to an interpersonal level. All around, a great organization

I volunteered with Nechama twice this past summer, in Alabama doing tornado relief and in New Jersey after Hurricane Irene. I have witnessed first-hand how Nechama is always there to comfort any and all victims of natural disasters. Nechama provides the tools and equipment necessary, the constant motivation, and the proper supervision so that volunteers remain safe at all times. I have worked with several disaster relief volunteer organizations, and I can honestly say that Nechama is by far my favorite and deserves to be the top rated disaster response charity of 2012!

I have volunteered with Nechama for over 10 years, helping to clean up damage from tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes, both locally and nationally. In some cases, just showing up, and demonstrating to those with damaged homes that others care, fulfills the mission of providing 'comfort' ('nechama' in Hebrew), as much as leaving a home ready for rebuilding provides hope. Nechama also provides a valuable service by absorbing many 'emergent volunteers' in its work - people who show up to help, but who are not part of an established organization. Nechama is also well known for arriving with the tools and equipment needed for effective cleanup.

In April/May 2011, Memphis, Tennessee experienced a 100 year flood along the Mississippi River. Many homes were flooded in our city and county. The local chapter of NECHAMA joined with Methodists, Muslims, other denominations, nonprofit and members of the business community in helping to remove debris and deconstruct affected homes. Their willingness to lend a helping hand will forever be remembered in our community. Thank you NECHAMA! --Loretta Hurt, Communications Officer--Mid-South VOAD | Emergency Support Coordinator ESF 14 -- Emergency Operations Center | Project Manager--United Way of the Mid-South

A friend of ours inspired us with the idea of participating in ‘good work’ by giving some combination of the 3 T’s – giving of our Time, Treasure, and/or Talent. We all have something to give – and it is our privilege and indeed a Mitzvah (Hebrew for “commandment”) to do so. Being involved in NECHAMA fulfills our desire to participate in Tikkun Olam, the imperative to repair the world – which reflects the Jewish values of Justice, Compassion, and Peace. In fact, NECHAMA derives its mission from this Jewish value. Volunteering with NECHAMA is the perfect family activity. With our three children ranging in age from 18-23, we still enjoy sharing activities that reinforce our family values and provide opportunities for the family to work together on meaningful projects. Shell Lake and Siren, WI and a total of 12 weeks in New Orlens, LA gave us a wide range of expiriences and introduced us to many wonderful people, both volunteers and clients. Our involvement with NECHAMA reminds us of the things we need to think about on a daily basis – and be thankful for.

I have been a Nechama volunteer for 5 years. This group allows me to directly assist individuals impacted by natural disasters in a way that is extremely beneficial to the victims and satisfying to the volunteers. Because of of their organization, logistics, training, and equipment, we are able to right in the thick of the action and lend a helping hand where it is really needed.

I have been involved for years and have been on deployments from North Dakota to Georga and the work they do is Life changing

Volunteers at this organization live their personal philosophy by taking time out of their own lives to do something that is purely good: helping disaster victims. The world needs more groups like this one.

Nechama has changed my life. Because of my experiences with Nechama since 1993 I have learned the importance of relationships and the lack of importance of material items. I have benefited from the "doing"" vs the talking. I have met incredable people and have made lifetime friendships. I have been rewarded with large amounts of psychic income by helping victims of natural disasters. My life has been richly rewarded by my involvement in this organization representing the Jewish Community at the time of disasters helping those in the greatest need.