Training events for Volunteers in Mission

North Central New York United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Coordinator, Sylvia Reimer, announces that there will be two training events for Volunteer in Mission enthusiasts in May.

The first will be a VIM team leader training event being held on May 3, from 10 am to 3:30 pm in the fellowship hall of Cicero United Methodist Church. So that we can start promptly at 10, sign in will start at 9:30 and coffee will be available! We would especially encourage those who have been participants on VIM teams to attend this event in preparation for taking out teams on their own. Being a team leader is a lot of work, but is not difficult; however, having the training goes a long way in reducing stress and overcoming problems before they occur. The event will be conducted by Sylvia Reimer assisted by Sandy Hall, Russ Riddell, and Don Snyder. It will be participatory and fun!

Deadline for registrations will be April 30 (see below for more information). The cost will be $35.00 for the first attendee from each church, which includes a Team Leader Manual, and $10.00 for each additional person from that church. If you already have a manual, it will be $10.00 to cover the costs, including lunch. Although on site registrations will be accepted on the day of the training, advance registration makes it much easier to plan for the correct number, and are therefore encouraged.  Participants will also have the opportunity to request a background check at a very minimal cost; this will help meet the requirements for Safe Sanctuary training for team leaders.

Cancelled - To be rescheduled this fall - The second event will be an Early Response Team (ERT) training on May 10, from 10 am until 3:30 pm, again in the fellowship hall at Cicero UMC and again, sign in will start at 9:30.  See below for registration information. 

It is becoming the norm for emergency personnel (police, fire department, etc) working in disaster areas to require that Early Response Teams be able to prove that they have received the training to work in such areas safely and responsibly. This is different from the recovery teams on which many from our conference have been a part. This will be conducted by a team who recently attended a “Train the Trainer” event, and will include Sylvia Reimer, Bob Mueller, David Greer, Jim Underwood, and Judy Aldrich. They will cover such issues as equipment needs, team formation, debris removal, tarping roofs, and chain saw safety. The emergency response trailer put together and owned by our United Methodist Men will be available for inspection, and practice in tarping roofs will be done. Greg Forrester, the UMVIM Jurisdictional Coordinator will be in attendance, as will Rev. Joe Auslander, the NCNY Disaster relief coordinator. Having a pool of trained people will enable us as United Methodists to respond to disasters in our own conference, as well as to those which might occur in other places. Opportunity to sign up for background checks will be provided here, also.

If you have questions, you may contact Sylvia Reimer at home – 315-788-5442, or by e-mail at marsyl5141@aol.com.

To Register Online:  Click on VIM Training or ERT Training.  Be sure to check the Disclaimer before entering your information. Complete the form, then click “Next”.  You will have an opportunity to review your information.  To make changes, click “Edit”.  To accept the information, click “Add to Cart”.  You can enter credit card information (Visa or MasterCard only) which will be processed through a secure site.  Or you can indicate that you will mail a check.  When payment information is complete, click the "Complete Now" button and your registration will be complete. A confirmation page will appear – print it -- and then you will click "I'm Done" to exit. Online registrations will receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive an email confirmation, your registration did not process and you must re-register.  If mailing a check, send a copy of the registration with your check made payable to: NCNY Conference, PO Box 1515, Cicero NY 13039. 

To Register by Mail:  There will be a combined registration form printed in the April and May editions of UM Connections. OR click here for an MS Word registration forms, or click here for a registration form in PDF format. You can type your information into the MS Word form (by clicking in the check boxes or form blanks, using the Tab key to move through the form) and then print the form to your local printer.  OR you can print the PDF form to your local printer and fill in by hand.  Mail your completed form, with appropriate fees (checks made payable to NCNY Conference) to: NCNY Conference, PO Box 1515, Cicero NY 13039.