June Disaster Relief-Alabama or BUST!

Posted by SCC on Thursday, July 7th, 2011.

Crew 139

Working disaster relief it was pretty clear that everything that got done happened thanks to people who lived there having each other’s backs and helping each other out; FEMA awkwardly sprinkled some money and volunteers on it.  Dennis, who worked disaster recovery for Katrina, lives in Pisgah, close to some of the damage in Northeast Alabama.  He told us how he cut his way out of the area, how people set up food banks in their back yard.  He’s been coordinating a lot at the response, and introduced us to the people whose yards we cleared out.

Dennis is still friends with, and lives close by, people he went to high school with.  Clinton was one of the people whose trees we chopped up.  He breeds dogs, builds hydrogen generators and porous stone oil lamps, and comes up with inventions that miraculously work or at least seem plausible (in the case of his spacecraft design).

Clinton is the kind of father who asks his 10 year old son if it’s ok before he removes a fallen tree, and when his son says no they negotiate about which branches to remove to turn it into a castle.

-Nathan Bergman Dean

 

When I first found out I was going to Alabama I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay in the Southwest and spend my summer doing trail work.

It turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

We at first walked into a mass of confusion. Where do we go? What do we do? Who do we talk to? Who are you? After spending a few days in this state the guidance we had been looking for walked through the door of the Flat Rock Alabama food bank. His name was Dennis Hicks and he told us to meet him outside the radiator shop Monday morning at 8am and to “get ready to work”. From then on we spent our time traveling around Jackson an DeKalb county helping the people who we heard needed it. We helped get trees off their property, and to salvage their lumber so they could rebuild again. We picked up the mess of a blown over house. We cut paths back into the shops and sheds that were once a part of their everyday lives. We also worked along side volunteers from all over the country working together to help restore a community. We were welcomed with open arms and smiling faces and overall we made a difference. That is how I spent my month in Alabama.

-Joe Hall

 

I can’t imagine how wonderful was since I get into SCC.  I think that it was one of the most thing that never had before.  First I can’t wait to thank to all SCC memebers.  I can’t also wait to thank Holly.  She was one of the wonderful that had changed my mind.  First when she called me and she told me that I am gong to Alabama I was so surprised, scared and afraid.  But when I get there I was just easy like I went to see my family one of the things that I can’t tell that happened it when I get there we were all like best friends and some like family  I can’t believe that it was going to be easy to work and live with people that you just met for one day.  I had a great time in Alabama and even I saw how damaged the town of Flat Rock was.  Our team did the great job in working together and get a lot of things done for the people who had lost they families and homes and friends.  We met all people there and we became a friend with them.  I can’t say that I only one day, two days, or three days that were the best time.  No.  What I saw is that every day was best to me because everyday I learn a lot of different things that I wasn’t even know.  So thank you to all who had changed my mind.

Thank you Holly!

-Many Jonjino

 

In Alabama our crew had a the great experience of canoeing down one of Alabama’s beautiful rivers.  Half of us had pleanty of experience, and the other half none at all.  The sights were beautiful.  The experience was amazing.  The sun was warm and my crew had a blast!

-Jade Davis

 

The LAND OF UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE

So… There were a lot of broken down houses and tress all scattered around the Earth.  The land had to wash it’s face.  One house had only a piano left in it.  Music is something nature doesn’t want to destroy.  We were Amazed by Alabama’s hospitality.  FEMA “warned” us about the rural areas apparently there had been some recent KK action us there…eh…They told us that as we were leaving.  HOT. MOSQUITOS. FIREFLIES. CANOEING. CRASHING SOCIAL GATHERINGS. FAYGO AND DENNIS FLOODS.  Sounds Great!

Oh and we learned how to colonize space.. that’s how we’ll save the Earth?… I’m staying here though.

-Keara Hartson

I’ve met the most amazing man in Alabama.  His name is Dennis Hicks and he is the reason our time spent in Alabama aided the community.  Being able to lead and teach us, he altered not only our trip but myself as a person.  Dennis taught me how to pull out nails faster than anyone has ever pulled nails out of wood.  For him teaching was a pleasure and he really wanted us to learn not just to show us.  Introducing us to locals so we could help them, inviting us to a bbq/pond party at his place, and meeting his family made our crew feel at home in Alabama.

-Holly Wenzel

 

 

 

I never learned how to swim, much less canoe.  My crew and I had been working pretty hard the last two weeks moving debris, building sheds and garages, chainsawing and de-nailing boards so that my crew leaders, when invited by the church, jumped on the oppourtunity to take a break.  Through St. Lukes Episcopal we were invited onto a canoe trip down a river near Scottsboro, Alabama.  We were paired in twos experienced and ill experienced.  I was partnered with Nathan, who from what I had heard, knew what he was doing.  Starting out had been a bit tricky; learning to steer, stop, go faster.  Once I got a hold of it though, wooo boy what a time I had.  Every now and then we’d stop to take a break, eat a snack, take in the sights.  As we progressed down the river, becoming better at navigating through obstales and past others canoeing, Nathan grew increasingly obsessed with boarding another group’s canoe.  With a wild look in his eyes and a feverish shake, Nathn lept from our canoe when were close enough to another’s.  The other’s just happened to be our crew leaders.  With a quick slap of his wrist, he had snatched one out leaders hats and then jumped back into our canoe.  With all I had, I started paddling, left, right, left, right.  Nathan had grabbed ahold of his oar by this time and started paddling.  In no time at all we were far ahead of our victims, their shouts and crys, whispers on the wind at our backs.  But this was not enough.  Having caught up with the rest of the fleet, we had noticed an arguing party.  The loving and compassionate duo of duos Holly and Manny.  While bickering amongst themselves, they failed to notice us as we crept behind them.  Closer. Closer. Blood lust was all that was driving Nathan at this point and with a howling screech, he had left from our vessel, coming down a top Holly.  She turned around and looked in the eyes of the beast.  He belched a most horrifying moan and grabbed the twosome’s lunch, tossed them some twenty feet to me ahead and then desserted their craft, swimming towards me.  Having re entered our canoe, Nathan and I enjoyed the booty we had claimed.  Three day old Peanut Butter and Jelly.  WHAT. A. PARTY.

-Josh Green