BonaResponds volunteers will spend their fall break helping people in the Wilmington, North Carolina area recover from Hurricane Florence. The main jobs for the trip will be gutting homes that were flooded, in some cases by water over 10 feet deep and cutting up fallen trees. The volunteers will be staying in sleeping bags at the St. James Episcopal Church in Wilmington.
While fall break trips are traditionally small, approximately 15 volunteers will make the journey and join others, including alumni from around the country to help get people back into their homes.
The ultimate goal of the trip is to help as many people as we can get a little closer to moving back into their homes. That said, the recovery process will likely take years in some areas. Thus, an additional goal is to scout places to stay for a larger and longer spring break 2019 trip in early March.
Predicting what we will experience on any trip is difficult, especially the first trip to a new area after a major storm. But with that said, the trip will be very memorable. The following list is based on one that was sent to everyone who is going. It serves as a good reminder of why we are going and what the volunteers will be experiencing.
1. We will be going through the homes of people who have lost everything. Respect them. Give them the opportunity to save items. Be patient with them.
2. Listen to their stories. Often it is even more important than the work we will be doing.
3. Always “under promise” and “over deliver.”
4. Keep alert for more jobs and other ways we can help.
5. Yes, the work is dirty, hot and tiring, but it is also rewarding to know that we are helping.
6. We are working with people, be friendly. Talk with them. Offer our food. Think of them as family. They have gone through (are still going through) a very stressful time. Don’t judge. As our saying goes, “love all, serve all.”
7. We will have morning and nightly meetings where everyone will talk. This will be likely one of your favorite parts. It allows you to share what you did, learn what others did, make decisions and become a team. It also lowers stress, and the trip can be stressful and emotional.
8. Gutting homes involves taking out most items (personal items, carpets, electronics and walls) to the curb for pickup. After this, the homes will need to dry, be treated and only then can the rebuilding take place. Most homes will not be done for six to eight months. Some will take one to two years. For perspective, there is a very large group (eight days of hope) working after our break in Dickinson, Texas, where many homes still need work 14 months after the storm.
9. Safety is very important. While we want to get a great deal done, people have to be safe. Do not take stupid risks. Think before acting. This is both at work and while traveling. There is no race to get there nor to get back. The number one job is to bring everyone back safely.
10. We will also be discussing future trips. Be thinking of how to get more volunteers to come and what work needs to be done.
11. You will be outside of your comfort zone. You will be pushed to lead others. You will be a role model. You will come home an improved person.
12. Have a good attitude. Everything cannot be planned in advance. There will be missing tools, extra trips to the hardware store and time wasted. But remember we will also get a lot done, make great new friends, learn new skills and hopefully lay the groundwork for a larger spring break trip.
To follow the action from North Carolina, follow BonaResponds on Twitter (@BonaResponds) or on Facebook.
BonaResponds Notes:
● Several of the gutting jobs will be in Burgaw, North Carolina. This was a town made famous for water up to the roofs of some homes. It is about 25 miles north of Wilmington.
● Last weekend, the volunteers warmed up for the trip by taking down a full-sized garage for a family in Lakewood, New York.
● We are still looking for a few students to help lead WarmSnugglyBlanket and PositiveRipples (domestic and international).
● Quote of the week: “…the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more” by H. Jackson Brown Jr.
By Jim Mahar, Professor Columnist
jmahar@sbu.edu
