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Friend James, Landen Dell, Chris Marobella, Sarah Person |
It takes twenty-seven hours to drive a van loaded with Chris' mobile workshop and assorted supplies through a massive Nor-Easter from Weston to Pearlington, MS. We arrived, tired but triumphant at 11:45 Tuesday morning and had a job assignment at 11:47. First, we dropped off all of your wonderful donations of linens, towels, cookware, toys and dishes at the home of Dallas Trammell who will sort, pack and distribute them to needy households. Then we started installing windows and doors in the home of Landon Dell. Landon, his mother, Janice, his teenage brother Lance, and Landon's daughter Angelle live in a two-story home in the southern end of town.
The downstairs is gutted down to the studs and the family lives upstairs for now. "The water came up two feet," Landon told Chris. Chris thought, that wasn't so bad. "Two feet upstairs," Landon explained. The wall of water that flooded Pearlington was 20 feet high. Many of the homes on Landon's street were completely submerged. Landon and his family evacuated to Pensacola, Florida. While the family was in Florida, their neighbors were getting assistance with repairs and renovations. By the time Landon got back, there was very little assistance left and Landon, who has found some part-time work, must do most of his repairs on his own when he can spare the time. By suppertime, we were hungry and tired but had knocked out the old, damaged windows and doors and trimmed and fitted the new ones. We were ready for dinner and sleep. The volunteer organization is fantastically organized (I speak as a veteran of many scout retreats). We sleep in bunkhouses that have light, heat and air-conditioning and clean mattresses and blankets. The food is plentiful, hearty and delicious and the cooks give us at least three choices of entrees. The food and supplies are provided by several church denominations. Most of the volunteers are affiliated with church organizations and come from all over the country. Pearlington receives donations of everything from house fixtures and appliances and furniture to tableware and curtains. The need is great and the government presence is smaller than it should be. Luckily, the supply of high-spirited volunteers is apparently endless. |
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