Southeastern Kentucky was hit with historic rains and flooding. The church organized a big service project. We heard about it and a few days later, Claire and Jared headed to help. Ben Peterson, who was just moving into the ward, joined. We stayed with the Goldies and Bagleys.
We dropped a few people off at a house that was flooded but was not in as bad of condition and drove to try to find another house. The bridge had been washed out, and we were about to leave, but a car pulled up, and the daughter of the owner let us know that the home was needing help. We moved a heavy steel i-beam to act as a bridge to cross the creek and were able to access the home.
It was a quad level. We did not go into the bottom level because it was still under some dark water. The level above is where we worked. Upon arriving, furniture and mud was everywhere! It honestly felt overwhelming - we couldn't imagine what the homeowners were experiencing. We worked most of the day to pull out everything until we got down to the concrete flooring (we had to pull up boards nailed to the concrete!) and the studs. By the time we left, it was much better - but so much work was needed.
After we finished, we went to another home to try to get a little work done in the afternoon before coming back the next morning. This home was in even worse shape. One of the supports to the deck was missing, and the entire basement (where we worked) had been under water - there was mud on the ceiling boards! We really weren't sure we would even to make a difference.
We went back to the Air BnB in Pikeville and found our way to an incredibly delicious steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We felt very happy to be staying in a home with showers - even if there was just 1 bed that Claire and I shared.
When we got back, we decided to go for it and clean. Claire went to the first house due to the presence of dogs. We hauled heavy, wet furniture out and shoveled so much mud! We ended up getting to the concrete and were able to take all the drywall off. It was SO MUCH work! The homeowner, Gina, was very grateful. Near the end, Claire and the other group came and joined, and Claire was able to be with the group even around the dogs.
It was an unforgettable experience, and we were grateful to be able to help. I was so proud of Claire's willingness to work and how helpful she was. Claire wrote about the experience as one of her college admissions essays:
Last summer, Eastern Kentucky experienced historic flooding. When I heard this, I knew I wanted to join in the effort to help clean out houses. It was short notice, and I was scheduled to work, so I found someone to cover my shift.
Inside the first house, the couches were crumbling, the walls were moldy, and the floor was thick with mud. It was overwhelming, and I did not know if we could get it clean. We started by removing the saturated furniture, which fell apart as we moved it. Then we began the monumental task of shoveling the dense mud out. We had to remove everything: the walls, the floorboards, and the shower.
Before removing the desk, I looked through the drawers to find anything salvageable. I looked through many photos and found some that were not ruined, which I saved for the owner. This gave me hope that we could make a difference and help these houses become livable again.
In the second house, the work was different. I wiped off studs so they could be sprayed for mold and refreshed mop buckets. The final house seemed like it was going to collapse, making us question if it could be habitable again. The next morning, we felt more optimistic and decided to try. Although we did not complete the cleaning of the house, we got a lot done. When we finished, the woman who owned the house said a powerful prayer of gratitude. Like the salvaged photos, her tangible sense of gratitude helped me feel like I had made a difference in the lives of those I served.
0 comments:
Post a Comment