WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS

Please let me provide you with a brief list of things I was doing between the ages of 18-24.

• chased women around the clock.  More often than not they ran faster than I could chase.
• sat backwards on a skinny boat for a few hours a day with 7 other college dudes getting screamed at to paddle harder
• collected an endless supply of mediocre grades at multiple institutions of higher learning
• occupied a 4th floor cubicle in Boston
• drove my parents crazy

I'll stop there.  The point being, I wasn't doing anything impressive.  Nothing at all.

Where am I going with this??.....

For the past month I have had a front row seat to watch nine 18-24 year old men and women in action.  These would be the Vinton, Iowa Cedar 4 Americorp NCCC Team that NECHAMA sponsored to aid our flood response efforts.  That's a mouthful.  Essentially you are looking at nine young adults who have committed to a year of around the clock service to better our country.  It could be working with schools, national parks, society at large, or in this case, a community devastated by a natural disaster.  The long and short of it is this...  I watched this group of beautiful young people work from dawn until dusk to better the lives of complete strangers.  They excelled at everything Dan and I asked them to do.  They were all doing the dirty work in the trenches and kept asking for more of it.  Also, like seasoned professionals, they were wonderfully compassionate with our flood survivors.  Bakari, Molly, Sam, John, Patrick, Alan, Mahala, Devin, Bob... Folks, remember these names and faces.  I have no doubt that it's these very hearts and shoulders that will carry our world into a better place.  Good luck to the rest of us to try and keep up with them!

For the past month and a half  I have been up in the mountains north of Boulder, Colorado running field operations for NECHAMA's flood response team.  Over the course of the deployment WE put in almost 4,000 hours in the field!   Together, we worked around the clock to save as many homes as we could that were compromised by last month's floods.  With the help of several hundred volunteers and our AMAZING AMERICORP TEAM, we were able to provide our services FREE of charge to over 30 families in need.

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

IN HONOR OF DAN HOEFT'S ADDICTION TO DIET MOUNTAIN DEW... AMERICORP SHOTGUNS 9 DEWS.  DISGUSTING BUT IMPRESSIVE

BOB, AlAN, PATRICK, SAM, DEVIN, MAHALA, BAKARI, JOHN, AND MOLLY.   NECHAMA'S AMERICORP TEAM FROM IOWA.  INCREDIBLE GROUP. (MOLLY SACRIFICED TO TAKE THE PICTURE.  YOU ARE AWESOME!)

AMERICORP TEAM ARE ALL STARS, IRV AND GENE ARE LEGENDS, DAN IS DARTH VADER

NECHAMA'S LOS ANGELES TEAM!

FOUND THIS WHILE DOING FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS 

A FEW WEEKS LATER THIS SHOWED UP IN THE MAIL WITH A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE HOMEOWNER.  BETTER THAN ANY PAYCHECK I HAVE EVER RECEIVED

GOT TO SEE MY CLEMSON PAL KRISTINA MURRAY WHILE IN BOULDER!  ON THE BRINK OF STARDOM.  SO BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED.  KEEP IT UP KK!
WWW.KRISTINAMURRAYMUSIC.COM

4+ FEET OF MUD AND WATER HAD BEEN IN HERE.  NECHAMA MUCKED OUT AND GUTTED FOR 300 HOURS HERE. READY FOR REBUILD!

CARBONDALE, COLORADO NECHAMA RESPONSE TEAM!

I TURN AROUND AND FIND A DOG IN MY CAR.  I DON'T OWN A DOG.  AMERICORP!!!  CUTE HUH! THE DOG ISN'T BAD EITHER

TOP OF THE WORLD WITH SAM AND ALLEN!

A REMINDER OF JUST HOW SMALL WE ARE OUT THERE

ROCK CLIMBING AT 6,000 FEET

DAN, DEVIN AND ALAN GETTING CREATIVE 

ONE OF THOSE PICTURES THAT DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.  SUN SETTING IN THE WEST OVER THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS

TRYING MY BEST TO DESTROY THE RENTAL CAR

BEAUTIFUL VIEW AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.  HEARTS OF GOLD... THESE THREE.  

JANUARY 17, 1883! FOUND WHILE SALVAGING A HOME IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN TOWN OF LYONS!

BOYS BEING BOYS ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.  

TOLD YOU LADIES THIS WOULD MAKE THE BLOG.   TOM BRADY CALLED.... HE WANTS HIS UGGS BACK!

AT ONLY 35, DAN HOEFT HAS CHANGED THE WORLD - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN!

On the big fellas 35th birthday, I'd just like to share a few words.

I met Dan Hoeft the morning after Hurricane Sandy finished destroying much of the east coast last year.  I had made my way to Hoboken, NJ to meet up with my BC High pal Bill Driscoll to do some disaster response work.

When Bill pointed out Dan from afar, I thought to myself " This guy is going to eat me for breakfast"  Turns out, he did not.  It didn't take long to realize Dan doesn't eat people for breakfast, he changes the world.  

Over the course of the past year, I have had the privilege to deploy to multiple disasters with Dan.  Most recently the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma, and we are currently leading a flood response team just north of Boulder, Colorado.

His technical skills on job sites shine in even the most difficult situations.  He has an uncanny ability to visualize any sort of situation we come across in the field and comes up with a solution that makes perfect sense.  Why didn't I think of that, is what I usually say to myself.  Why?  Because I am not Dan.

What impresses me even more is his ability to connect with people in the darkest hour of their lives.  He brings leadership, compassion, and humor all at the exact right moment to bring disaster survivors an incredible amount of comfort.  It is a thing of beauty.  

I could go on forever with stories of what makes this guy so great.  I guess I'd just like to say I love him.

You know what the fastest way to change the world is?  Clone Dan Hoeft.  


Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

ROSS AND DAN GRINDING OUT A TOUGH DAY DURING THE NOR'EASTER THAT HIT RIGHT AFTER HURRICANE SANDY.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS POST MIDWEST FLOODS THIS PAST SPRING

" I CONVINCED THIS IDIOT TO JUST DO THAT!" - DAN

NECHAMA DISASTER RESPONSE STRONGEST MAN CONTEST.  I LOST.

OKLAHOMA.  A DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET.  DAN WAS MAGIC PER USUAL.

LOVE - HATE RELATIONSHIP.