Volunteers: Hurricane victims grateful to be alive Team from Covenant Church joins Gulf Coast Relief Effort in Alabama BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer Volunteers from the Long Branch Covenant Church traveled to the Gulf Coast region devastated by Hurricane Katrina to help in the recovery effort. Clockwise from top: A woman in Biloxi, Miss., signals her intention not to leave her home. Household contents in a home in Bayou La Batre, Ala., were ruined. An abandoned car rests where it was swept by flood waters in Biloxi. A team of volunteers from the Long Branch Covenant Church traveled to Alabama and used their hearts and hands to assist in the Gulf Coast Relief Effort for victims of Hurricane Katrina. “Just talking about the experience is very moving,” said team leader John Feaver, a member of the Covenant Church on Joline Avenue and an Ocean Township resident. “It is difficult to talk about without tearing up. We saw how much pain people are going through, the pain of losing jobs, homes, friends, family and possessions.” Feaver, along with his wife and two daughters and five other church members, reported to Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 8 and worked hands-on in restoring homes that had been flooded by Hurricane Katrina for four days. “We have all seen the pictures on TV, but what hit us was seeing the extent of the damage,” Feaver said. “Three-and-a-half months later and there is still this devastation. We saw just how slow the recovery process is.” On the first day, Feaver and his team were introduced to a “mud-out,” which literally involved shoveling out a layer of mud and the water-soaked contents and moldy wall board and paneling from a home that had been inundated by more than 9 feet of water, Feaver said. “This is the first step for that homeowner, who must now plan to use tens of gallons of bleach to kill the remaining mold, replace electrical and plumbing equipment, then install and paint Sheetrock, doors and so forth, finally replacing all furniture in the house,” Feaver said. According to Feaver, after looking at the condition of the home, his wife said, “Why even bother,” which, he added, was also his reaction. “But once you saw the condition of the other homes, [this homeowner] was one of the lucky ones,” he said. “You do a mud-out when a home still has a structure,” he said. “Some houses had collapsed roofs and walls missing,” he said. “That first house was much more preservable than many of the other homes we saw.” On the second day, the team worked on a second home in Bayou La Batre, Ala., which had most of the floor joists exposed, Feaver said. The team divided into subteams and worked on different projects at the home, including installing subflooring and tearing down ruined ceiling tiles. One team member who is a professional electrician worked on replacing the main electrical panel. On the third day, the team traveled back to the first home in Mobile to do more work before heading out to Biloxi, Miss., to view more damage from the hurricane, meet residents and distribute food, clothing and other supplies. “We were surprised seeing how positive these people were,” Feaver said. “They were all so thankful, not just for the work we were doing, but for all the help they have been receiving in general. “They were just so thankful they were alive,” he said. “They call themselves lucky because they are alive.” Feaver said the team was struck by many things during their time in the Gulf Coast, but he said two things stand out from the trip. “First, the resiliency and courage of the residents was remarkable and a testament to the strength of the community and the human spirit in general,” he said. “They were so open in expressing their gratitude for being alive and for what many have done for them. “Second, despite reports in the media to just send money, don’t go down there, it was painfully obvious that the people don’t simply need money. They need others to come down, roll up their sleeves and help in practical ways,” he said. Feaver said he is grateful for Christian Outreach International (COI), a mission relief organization headquartered in Florida, which made the trip possible. COI sponsors short- and long-term outreaches to meet different needs through a variety of programs. Feaver said each member of his group paid a fee of $240 and was then provided with housing and a COI staff team on site to coordinate the four-day effort. Feaver and his wife have traveled with a group through CIO once before in 2004 when they took a youth team to New Brunswick, Canada, to assist at soup kitchens and provide services to the poor and homeless. “We want to plan another trip to the Gulf Coast,” Feaver said. At this time, no date is scheduled for a second trip for the Gulf Coast Relief Effort, but he said his team is planning a short trip in the spring or summer. Feaver said anyone interested in assisting in the relief effort, can contact him through the church at Long Branch Covenant Church, P.O. Box 4138, Long Branch, NJ 07740 or by calling the church at (732) 870-2028.