News : Go Serve Global Visits Vinton

Safe-T house now making a stop in Vinton

The Iowa-based mission organization, "Go Serve Global" based out of Eagle Grove, Iowa has arrived in Vinton at the Blessed Hope Community Church. Bringing along one of the homes that demonstrate shelters that are being sent to Haiti. The organization shared with the congregation that the cost is $7,500 to place one of these shelters in Haiti. The cost includes shipping it and cement to secure the building making it hurricane safe.

The shelter recipients are determined by a council set up in Haiti and then 6-8 of the shelters are placed in a circle creating a communal space in the middle of the homes. The buildings were used to house 60-70 during a recent hurricane saving hundreds of lives. There are currently about 500 homes in Haiti now. These homes are not only weather secure but "machete safe" created to withstand any sort of attack that the Haitians might need to protect themselves against. The doors can be bolted shut as well as the two windows for security.

The trough along two sides of the home is designed to fill with rocks, dirt or concrete adding weight to the shelters. They are also low enough so that the top of the space can be used to garden providing food as well as shelter for the community. When filled, the shelter weighs approximately 18,000 pounds.

Go Serve Global was founded in 2010 by a pastor involved in mission work and a farmer who also worked as a pilot. Their ministry includes sending teams to aid in sharing the gospel and meeting needs for disaster relief. Because the group is so small they can launch a team within 24 hours of a disaster. They recently made a trip to Kentucky packing up and leaving to assist with storm damage there, taking along large equipment to assist in the clean-up.

The organization also provides opportunities for sponsoring a child so that children can have food and attend school. The group also provides dental work as well as provides alternative housing.

The homes created by the Sukup company are assembled with simple nuts and bolts and can add a loft accessible via a ladder. The homes once purchased are shipped out. to Haiti and arrive via shipping containers shipping 10 at a time. The goal is to be able to send one courtesy of Vinton area churches and residents.

If you would like to see one of the safety homes on display this week, it will be in the Blessed Hope Church parking lot located at 1509 S. M Avenue in Vinton through April 29 (or actually until it is completely dry now). Feel free to come and see this unique housing solution that has been designed for warm climate living and to remain stable in high wind and earthquake events.

The mission group would like to encourage any of the area churches and individuals to make a donation toward this unique ministry and provide at least one home to a family needing more substantial shelter to survive. The cost to produce, ship, and install a home is $7,500. Like everything else, this cost is rising with inflation.

A team travels with the unit to make sure it is assembled properly. You can donate directly on the website www.goserveglobal.org, or by mailing a tax-deductible donation to:

GoServ Global, Inc.

310 East Broadway

PO Box 193

Eagle Grove, IA 50533

Federal Tax ID #:45-2875491

or by bringing cash or checks made out to Go Serve Global with "safety home" on the memo line to Blessed Hope during the week of April 23-29. Our goal is not only to raise funds but to raise awareness of this lowa ministry that is changing lives.

If there are questions, please call Carolyn Hibbs at 472-2693.