UMVIM Mission Trip to Vermont

The weather could have been worse. It could have rained all seven days instead of only six. Yet, in spite of the terrible weather, everyone had a wonderful and positive experience on our recent UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) Disaster Recovery Mission Trip to Vermont. 

First reason — the group. We were eleven people from six different UM churches in Connecticut and New York. All bonded together to share Jesus’ love through our grace and actions. It was as our construction coordinator predicted: acquaintances on Monday, friends on Wednesday, family on Friday.

Second reason — the clients. Even without flood damage, these are caring, gracious, and hard-working people we would have wanted to help. One was the widow of a Vietnam War P.O.W., and another was a man who works, cares for his terminally ill wife, and still found the time and energy to work with our team, along with his 14-year-old son.

Third reason — the presence of God in the beauty of the Vermont landscape; the stories of grace shared during our daily devotions; and the heartfelt gratitude of our clients.

The details of our trip: On Sunday, May 18, 2025, Mike Bolduc, Donna and Mike Motyl, Art Schwartz, and Bob Shea, all from SUM, and Larry and Sue Gannon from NCCUMC traveled to northeast Vermont for a week to help repair homes damaged by flood waters in 2023. 

You may remember the pictures from our September trip when we jackhammered the large rocks of the collapsed foundation wall and dug a drain around the perimeter of the dirt basement for a French drain. This year, we got to see the fruits of our prep work. The concrete floor has been installed, and we were able to seal the cement block, mortar the remaining stone foundation, and install lighting. We were also able to remove all the black mold from the laundry room and upstairs storage areas, plus begin to hand sheetrock. In the second home, we started the hard work on the foundation by digging out the basement floor, installing posts, and repositioning the plumbing.

Consider volunteering to return to Vermont in August or Georgia in October. Making such a profound difference in someone’s life will make a profound difference in your life. For more information, please contact Cassandra Broadus-Garcia at SUM or Larry Gannon at North Canton Community UMC.

-Sue Gannon, Outreach Chair, NCCUMC