LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For those who continue to need assistance in recovering from last year's devastating wildland fires, teams from World Renew are now working in Lake County and available to offer help.

If you – or a friend or neighbor – have suffered losses in the Valley, Rocky or Jerusalem fires, and were uninsured, underinsured or are financially disadvantaged, then Harry and Phyllis Kuipers of World Renew, a faith-based disaster response service from Grand Rapids, Mich., would like to meet you and learn about your as-of-yet unmet needs.

The Kuiperses, along with five more teams, have come to Lake County at the request of the community-based long-term recovery group called Team Lake County, or TLC, to assess the unmet needs of the fire victims – whether they are construction, household, emotional or financial needs.

The Kuipers and the other team members of World Renew will be here until Feb. 5 to take your application, which will be placed in a priority list for TLC's case managers to review.

TLC coordinates the collaboration of all the faith-based and nonprofit agencies dedicated to providing relief for the fire victims.

“It's important for people to get into the system,” Harry Kuipers pointed out. “We try to give these people a little ray of hope, and let people know there are people who care about what they've been going through. Sometimes people going through this feel depressed, lonely and rejected. How do you know how they feel unless you've 'put their shoes on' for awhile."

His wife, Phyllis, said, “The more people come in for applications and interviews, the more they'll tell others. That's how it works – by word of mouth.”

The Kuiperses, who are retirees – as are many World Renew volunteers – aren't restricted in their missionary work as they would be if they had full-time jobs.

Like a lot of retirees, they enjoy traveling to various parts of the United States to learn more about their country and its people. By doing humanitarian work, they have a much better chance to meet people.

“Wow, there are really good people that we have the opportunity to meet,” Harry Kuipers said. “We go to different parts of the country and talk with the people and get a feel for the places in which they live.”

After completing outreach work earlier this week at several sites around the lake where displaced fire victims are presently residing, World Renew will return on Friday, Jan. 29, to their office space in the activity room next to the Middletown Library at 21256 Washington St.

They will remain there to finish their work until the following Friday, Feb. 5.

From Monday through Fridays they'll work from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. On Saturdays they'll only work from 9 a.m. until noon. Sundays are their day of rest.

Dennis Purcell is a member of Team Lake County.