What We've Done

Nashville Flood - Driving through the night

iC Staff — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:23:45 GMT

We ARE going back: Update May 6.2010

Having built a relationship with several different churches, we now have the ability to host up to 100 volunteers at a time. This includes providing three meals a day while staying in Nashville. Our plans now are:

May 9.2010

-We are departing from Jacksonville with a team of 12 volunteers and driving through the night to Nashville. We will be traveling via a 15 passenger van.

May 10-13.2010

-We will be partnering with I AM ACTIVE, Crosspoint Church and The Peoples Church. All three days we will be compassing neighborhoods, helping with demolition and providing hope through simple acts of love.

-We will reevaluate the systems implemented at Crosspoint Church and provide any further assistance to better help their handling of volunteers.

-We will depart Nashville the evening of May 13.
Budget

The expected budget of this trip is as follows:

Gas - $300.00
Van - $300.00
Tools - $250.00
Misc - $200.00
Total - $950.00

We would also like to raise the funds to compensate for our first trip. Bringing us to a grand total of $1318.24.

How You Can Help:

- Volunteer: Within 12 hours of posting a need for volunteers, we had thirteen volunteers commit to traveling with us! We feel honored and humbled that so many people are willing to help us. If you would like to travel in your own vehicle to Nashville between Sunday night and Thursday, you are more than welcome to come work with us. We can provide your meals in Nashville and a place for you to stay, please contact us via telephone if you are interested in this: 904.395.5533

-Donate: If you are able to help provide financial contributions to support our team of twelve traveling back to Nashville, please click the link above or click here. All donations are tax deductible and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us via email or telephone: info@itsChance.com -or- 904.395.5533.

This trip is made possible because the following partners have agreed to support us and our desire to help in one manner or another.

I AM ACTIVE:

Three staff members from their company traveled with us in our initial trip and provided the systems necessary to help Crosspoint Church.

River City Church:

The home church of I AM ACTIVE. They have agreed to be our channel of fundraising for the Nashville flood. All donations received will be tax deductible through their 501c3.

Nashville Flood: Update May 5.2010

Our team of four has returned to Jacksonville safely after spending three days in Nashville. While we were there, we were able to identify several needs and create a solution. We came back realizing that we still have a lot to learn and are excited about what it is that God is doing. Over all we accomplished the following:

Established a relationship with Crosspoint Church.
Created and implemented a volunteer system for their church.
Shared lessons learned from previous experiences.
Traveled through out Nashville, assessing damage and needs.
Connected with Life Church, GUTS Church and Healing Place Church, all three from across the United States. Empowering them to continue helping when we left.

This trip was different than Atlanta because we were a true first responder. Traveling from Jacksonville through the night and arriving in Nashville before many other organizations arrived. This opened our eyes to the urgency of arriving first and creating systems for future volunteers; allowing them to come and immediately start working if desired.

The cost of this trip were as follows:

Gas..................................$201.74
Food..................................$73.00
Supplies Donated..............$88.53
Parking................................$5.00

Total $368.24

We chose not to take the time to fundraise for this trip because the need was urgent. We are now accepting funds for reimbursement.

Original Statement. May 2.2010

itsChance has assembled a team of four:

Chance Craven | Audra Elliot | Gabriel Cox | Nathan Elliott

We are departing from Jacksonville at 11:44pm EST on May 2.2010 and heading towards Nashville, Tennessee.

We will be teaming up and providing assistance to Pastor Pete Wilson of Cross Point church in their relief efforts of the recent flooding. Due to the need to pack, prepare and get on the road, this is as much information as we can provide at the moment.

Please begin to pray over our travels, that our team work together successfully and most importantly, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ during this time of need. Thank you all.

-For up to the minute updates, please follow our team members on Twitter: @itsChance | @NathanElliott

-For recent footage of some of the flooding in nashville, please click the following link from CNN: http://bit.ly/aDuM9G

Our Original Haiti Plan: Accomplished

iC Staff — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:23:50 GMT

It's because of so many other people that 12 of us were able to go to Haiti on Jan 21st and make the difference that we did! There is a lot to come from the trip, and we are sorry that we haven't had time to update things yet... but below is our original plans, which we accomplished!

Reuniting the Freycinet family

It's on our list of things to do, but it's not everything. Our team member Leu grew up in Haiti. His 100 year old grandmother was recently rescued by his cousins before his uncles house collapsed. We know that the conditions in Haiti may prevent us from ever making it to Leu's family, but if it all possible, we are going to do it!

Helping the El Shaddai Orphanage

Team member Edd Cobb has worked closely with the El Shaddai orphanage and has been in contact with representatives since the earthquake. We plan to aid in any assistance necessary within the walls of El Shaddai from simply spending time with children to basic medical necessities such as wrapping wounds and washing feet.

Clearing streets and removing debris

If you've seen the news, you know what the streets look like. We are taking the necessary tools such as concrete saws, sledge hammers, picks and shovels to clear as much as possible from the roads surrounding our base camp and anywhere else that we are able to help.

It's true. Over the past 24 hours since we announced that we have an eleven person team going to Haiti... our team has grown tremendously!! There may be eleven of us flying to Haiti, but it's because of so many of you choosing to donate financially, donate your time, and support the eleven of us that we are able to do it! YOU are a part of our team! Below is a growing list of our Operation Freycinet team. They are making it happen!! //There are more members to this team, we haven't had time to update it yet!

Eric S.
Easter T.
Leon D.
Josh M.
Neal S.
Robin J.
Jennifer K.
Mary L.
Elizabeth H.
Kelly A.
Jeffery W.
Kelly P.
Chad W.

Adam D.
William R.
Jose V.
Donna Q.
Cameron T.
Tony N.
Ingrid F.
Paul K.
Samson R.
Morgan B.
Bryan G.
Alaina S.
Beverly K.

Wendy E.
Deb L.
Amanda H.
Nicole C.
Jenny S.
Will S.
Jamie M.
Terrance O.
Tom R.
Micah S.
Lori M.
Mandy J.
Matt R.

Jessica Z.
Judith W.
Esthere J.
Donald R.
Jamin W.
Christy P.
Bill S.
Joseph G.
Jennifer C.
Ellen L.
Dee H.
Keith G.
Thanh N.

Erin Z.
Johnathan S.
Lizzie M.
Melissa W.
Wendy Q.
Vic C.
Derek N.
Anthony W.
Winston S.
Stephanie P.
Latoya S.
Lindsey C.

24 Degrees. 3 People. 1 Idea.

iC Staff — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:09:23 GMT

The Issue//

We received an email today from a single mother of a four and six year old boy, asking for assistance fixing a water pipe that busted during the freeze last night. We immediately told her that we could help, only to discover she needs help with other things too but was too scared to ask!
She hasn't been able to keep up with her bills lately and for that reason her and her children are sleeping in the mobile home, with no power. They have been heating water for bathing over their kerosene heater. They are keeping food fresh in a styrofoam cooler. They all three sleep together on a full size bed to stay warm at night.
She is in the situation for whatever reason, some may say it's her fault and some may choose not to help. But we feel led to lend this family a hand up, not just a hand out, and we are hoping you will help!
Our Response//updated
With the help of so many people, we raised $609.12 in roughly three hours. The donations came in as low as $3.13 and we didn't have one larger than $100. All together we had 26 donations! That allowed us to pay the $313.78 due to turn her power back on, purchase groceries, bedding, and warm pajamas for children and also provide a new kerosene heater! The four year old was excited, but the six year old couldn't quit running around jumping on things excited!! He began to sing a song I believe he created... "I can see inside and it's dark outside... whoo-i whoo-i! I can see inside and it's dark outside... whoo-i whoo-i"
It was an experience that we can't explain, but it's because of you that young adults are able to keep helping others!! It changes not only the families and people we help, but it also changes the lives of those choosing to help! Thank you all for everything that you do!!
We don't need one person to donate all of the money. We need one person to tell another. And together donate five dollars. Ten. Twenty here and there. And then we can go help this family tonight! Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing tonight, to the mid 20's. Regardless of how this family got to where they are now, let's choose not to judge. Let's choose to love!

Atlanta Flood 09'

iC Staff — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:47:50 GMT

The Issue//

In September of 2009, areas of Atlanta Georgia experienced rain like they had never seen before, or atleast in recorded history! Hundreds of homes were flooded within a matter of hours and thousands of people were suddenly without a place to sleep that night. The media covered it briefly, but unless you or a family member were effected by the tragedy it was quickly forgotten about.

Our Response//
An Atlanta based disaster relief organization, created by a Shaun King, contacted us to see if we were able to provide assistance, we of course agreed! Educating young adults about the situation and using social media to raise support, within 72 hours there were 27 of us going to aid in the clean up efforts. We spent just over four weeks in what would be considered ground zero, helping families clean their homes, search through their belongings that could be saved and making some of the best friends we have today! We had literally thousands of volunteers travel from 13 different states to help make a difference. Through Shaun empowering iC and the support of all of you, it changed the way we look at disaster relief!!