The East Coast was battered by Helene and Rotary responded immediately with Rotary dollars and an army of volunteers going through Disaster Aid USA, a consortium of Rotary Clubs across the United States. These Rotarians are there to assist in clean-up operations at various homes and businesses. These clean-up operations are a MUST if your home was flood or roof leaked causing interior water damage. Just how bad was it with Helene?
“I have been here 35 years, and this is the worst storm I have ever seen,” said Ed Hallock a member of the Rotary Club of Seminole Lake, Florida, USA. “We had a couple of Rotary members who really got hammered.” Sandra Lilo, another member of the Seminole Lake club, says she’s lucky that her house wasn’t destroyed.
“Of the 80 houses on my street, probably 78 took water. I and my next-door neighbor did not,” she says. “Some of my neighbors took 4 feet of water. There are two to three feet of muck in most people’s houses.”
Even if they and their fellow club members weren’t directly affected, Rotary members all over the southeastern U.S. immediately offered funds, supplies, and their own labor. Many members are helping to remove sodden drywall and flooring from flood-damaged houses.
“You have to get the wet stuff out as fast as you can to prevent mold,” Hallock says. “Otherwise, it destroys the whole living space.”
The Rotary Club of Dunedin North, Florida, USA, rented a 26-foot moving truck to collect donations. It’s full of shovels and rakes, cases of water, garbage bags, and utility knives to cut up and remove wet carpet. The club has set up four distribution centers where people can get supplies.
“This is why you are a Rotarian,” says Mark Middleton, a member of the Dunedin North club and a district governor-nominee. Dunedin North has five members whose homes were destroyed.
“We have multiple clubs going to homes, mucking out and gutting these houses. Dry wall has to be cut out as high as the water line, and all flooring has to be cut out,” Middleton says. “What a blessing it is that we can help and be there for them. You become close to your Rotary family. When we can support and help each other, it becomes impactful.”
Many Rotary clubs are collecting and distributing supplies, raising funds, and assisting those affected by Hurricane Helene.
The Rotary Club of Magnolia provided much of the above information. They along with hundreds of Rotary Clubs across America are moving forward in helping individuals get their lives together.
Florida has been impacted again with Milton dumping more than 16 inches of rain in less than half a day. New Rotarian, Lt. Cody Johns and new leader of the Salvation Army of Conroe, left last week to assist in manning food distribution in the ravaged areas of Florida. Food and a healthy, clean place to reside is essential to survive these catastrophes. Rotarians are making a difference in the recovery operations of the East Coast. We recognize this is a T. E. A. M. effort, meaning Together Everyone Achieves More. We are helping to make the world a better place!
For more information on Rotary, please email Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
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