Sunday, January 20, 2013
Why the Hurricane Sandy Victims Still Need Whatever We Can Do: Through the Eyes of One of Our Friends
So we thought the hurricane victims were taken care of by now, right? Not even close!
One of our favorite people, her husband and son dedicated some holiday break time to helping the people who are still suffering from Hurricane Sandy's October devastation. Here is her account of the current suffering.
"Our trip was great; humbling, interesting, and hard work. We tore out dry wall and foor boards and windows and kitchen cupboards and sinks and basically everything down to studs and floor joists in homes.
Our son was on a spray team that was under homes, in crawl spaces, spraying disinfectant for mold part of the time. I worked in a camp kitchen part of the time. We did what was needed when asked. We slept on air mattresses on the floor of a local church and showered in semi-truck showers. But it was incredibly rewarding, and we will definitely serve again.
What was most surprising is the continuing extreme need. So many people are still out of their homes; families are still split apart, and they are receiving precious little help. Local contractors are charging outrageous fees for work, including $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 per week for a dumpster. The only contractors permitted to work are either approved non-profit volunteer groups, such as Samaritan's Purse, or township approved union workers! The town is fining their own community members $50.00 to $500.00 daily for debris left by the road.
The work we did (our team of 15) in one 10- hour -day would have cost the home owner $12,000-$18,000.
These people need support from the rest of us that have gone along our merry way while they are at the mercy of outrageous and seemingly endless suffering. Their storm is not over by any means."
After reading about our friend's experience just a few weeks ago, the question becomes, "What about the rest of us? What can we do?" We may be able to join a group traveling to the scene of this devastation to give first-hand support. Those of us with strong church or civic organization affiliations might start a discussion with our fellow members about ways to help. And individually, we can keep these people in our thoughts each day.
Our thanks to this dedicated family who gave of their time and energy to help. All of us apppreciate being able to read their first-hand account.
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People do not realize the cost and time needed still. My home was flooded. I was fortunate enough to be able to take off work and have the funds to afford clean-up. I had to get an air handler rental to remove moisture and have people come in to clean up molds. This was expensive. I am not complaining. Like I said, I was lucky. But what about those who do not have the means or anyone to help? I am glad to read a story like this because I hope it motivates others to pitch in and give a helping hand to my friends and neighbors who need it. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Joan, Thank you for sharing your experiences with Hurricane Sandy and the problems you've encountered.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to put your comment on the article itself(contributed by Joan P.) if you agree. My email is smartnsassywoman@gmail.com. I can also include you on the email list that alerts friends that a post has just gone up. It also asks for contributions from all who receive the email. Many who contribute use a gmail address with a name like mine (over60woman) to preserve anonymity. I can also post your comments without any name as I did with the Hurricane Sandy personal experience above. In any case, I hope to hear from you. Thanks, Joan.