What is the best way to spend $1,000?

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Our rural Virginia church has decided to set aside $1,000 that will be used for Y2K preparations. We will not use that money for ourselves. We will use it to help a District of Columbia inner-city church that we have a long-standing relationship with.

The pastor of that church is concerned about Y2K.

The question is: How would you spend that $1,000? Or, would you just give the inner-city church a check and let them decide?

-- Walt (longyear@shentel.net), June 14, 1999

Answers

Reduce outstanding debt.

Regards,

-- Mr. Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), June 14, 1999.


Walt,

See this link to the Cassandra Project about community preparation:

http://cassandraproject.org/home.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), June 14, 1999.


Bus tickets.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), June 14, 1999.

dig a well big enough to drop a bucket into.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), June 14, 1999.

Worst case, the inner-city will not be viable for some time. Spend the grand putting aside what would be needed to convert the actual church in to a shelter for your friends in the inner city. Everyone who can leave the city for a pre-planned shelter makes it that much easier to take of those who remain.

Set up a way to provide clean water, sanitation, sleeping facilities, alternate source of heat, cooking facilites and perhaps a small medical station. Yes, I know. A grand won't cover it all, but it's a start. And make sure your friends in the city have a plan to get to you.

And if nothing happens, your ready to give aid in the event of non-computer related disasters as well.

Remember those less fortunate and keep you...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), June 14, 1999.



Walt - It's heartwarming that your church would choose to do this, and that the D.C. pastor knows enough to be concerned. What is he most concerned about? Does he already have an overall plan, or does he need ideas about how best to get started?. That information might help us to focus our suggestions. $1K could buy a lot of rice and beans, but won't go very far on other types of preps. Thank you for sharing this.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), June 14, 1999.

Since the two churches have a long-standing relationship, perhaps the rural congregation could offer shelter, water & food in their own homes for the city congregation come roll-over.

Spend the $1000 on extra food & water to cover the extra mouths to feed. Seems like a great opportunity for true fellowship.

As Mr. Decker recommends, reduction of debt is always a smart idea. If your church is carrying debt, it may be wise to put the $1000 towards clearing that debt first.

I look forward to meeting you on the 19th at the Carla Emery workshop!

Best Wishes,

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), June 14, 1999.


In response to Brook's comment, the best I can say if that the pastor must feel overwhelmed with the task before him. Most of us feel that way just thinking about making preparations for our own family.

Fortunately, this pastor does a remarkable job with very few resources. This small church gives away upwards of 3 million pounds of food each year. All of it donated by farmers, food companies, etc.

And, by the way, he doesn't believe in handouts. The Bible says that if you don't work, you don't eat. And he's not afraid to say so.

Getting people out of the city isn't a feasable role for his church to undertake. He and his church members will stay right where they are ministering to people as best as they can no matter how bad the situation gets. That's their ministry. Some people might think this is unrealistic, but they have the courage to do it and the foresight to think about making plans for it.

-- Walt (longyear@shentel.net), June 14, 1999.


Walt,

If his church has any significant debt (as many do), the $1,000 might not make any difference in the long run. For more bang for the buck, the pastor and his church council need to decide in which areas they are most vulnerable. Water? Food? Making sure each elderly member has a "buddy" to be in contact with them? Must be a very cooperative relationship between the pastor, their council and their congregation, judging on their impressive service to the community. That's not easy to achieve - you'd probably do well to send the money to them and let them decide what's best to be done with it. They may need to do some research first, but ultimately they will probably be the best stewards of your gift.

-- Jill (jdance@mindspring.com), June 14, 1999.


As much as I dislike debt, the $1,000 should go to the short term problems of keeping people healthy and alive.

1. I would spend $10-30 on dry chlorine bleach to sanitize water. http://home.earthlink.net/~kenseger/surv/bleach.txt

2. I would spend $50 on electrolyte replacement formula http://home.earthlink.net/~kenseger/surv/ORIENT

3. I would spend $100 on makeshift toilets, bags, more bleach, etc. to prevent having to use #2.

4. The rest I would secure means of cooking extremely basic foods http://home.earthlink.net/~kenseger/surv/MORMAN4.TXT and http://home.earthlink.net/~kenseger/surv/wheat.txt with the understanding that what would serve 10 for one year will serve 360 for 10 days.

5. Have the shelterees bring beding and plates and cups and both eating and cooking utensils.

If the pastor is concern about husbanding resources, most of the expense is food which can always go to a food pantry if Y2K is a BITR and the remainder is good "keep on hand" preparedness material.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 14, 1999.



Medicine! Get with the local Dr. and buy the medicines/first aid supplies he would reccommend to have on hand.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), June 14, 1999.

$1,000 isn't going to go very far for a large group of people. My answer would be FOOD and water. Hungry people will bring their own table-ware. FOOD and water. If things were really bad, I'd bring the children ONLY to eat something. FOOD and water. No possibility of THAT being percieved as a wasted investment.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 14, 1999.

Listen to Ken.

Water, water, food...

Water, water, food...

Water, water, food...

Without these, the church cannot continue to minister.

-- nothere nothere (nothere@nothere.com), June 15, 1999.


I'm thinking along the lines of Carlos, he said bus tickets, but that in itself is only a "duck, that guy is shootin" fix. A 1000 dollars huh? Spread the money anyway you have to but you will need to accomplish 3 things. 1) Get them out of the city for rollover 2) House them. 3) Feed them (water the priority). It's really that basic, although not easily accomplished. If you disagree ask yourself this "OK, I live in the middle of downtown Washinton DC, I have a car, my sister lives 60 southwest of the city, where will my children be safest when the micro chips say 1/1/00?". My guess is you'll be at your sisters....

-- Mike (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), June 16, 1999.

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