Owego,NY Updates

Owego Flood Relief Progress Report 4

It is always amazing to me how God turns our meager efforts into something far greater than we expect.  Such is the case with the Owego Flood Relief Project.  I expected the phone to ring off the hook with volunteers. Of course, that didn't happen. What I had perceived as an initial lack of participation was only the bad timing of the situation.  A new school year had just begun, vacation days at work were now used up, and  frankly people had already committed their time elsewhere.

The time frame was always in God's hand, however, and in His schedule He would provide the necessary volunteers.  This became evident last Friday (November 11th) when a  team of twenty adults and young people arrived in Owego from the East Palmyra Christian Reformed Church and then twenty more from the Rochester Christian Reformed Church on Saturday.

"Praise the Lord"

The Morse family are a self-reliant, hard-working Christian family who have been placed in an overwhelming and faith-testing situation.  They are typical of the folks found in Owego. Although their homes were devastated by the flood waters, they remained optimistic and continue the awesome task of rebuilding their homes and their lives.  I am sure that Rick Morse was more then a bit skeptical of the caliber of the work these teams would be able to perform.  At the time of our departure the phrase, " what do you want us to do next ?" would forever be etched in his memory.  He was  especially impressed by the performance of our young people and had nothing but high praise for the amount and quality of work accomplished. 

I could go on and on about all the jobs we completed, the repairs made, lawns mowed,  how much drywall was installed, or how many basements were mucked out, but instead I'd like to focus on the  human  aspects of this adventure.  The real question is how many lives did we touch or more importantly, how many lives touched us.

Over the last several weeks, what started out as only names and addresses on paper are now familier faces of friends:  homeowners  like John and Pat Shafer, Eudora Schuler and her son, Bill and granddaughter Katy, Jane Buckthal and her parents Pete and Mary, and Rick and Bette Morse and sons, Josh and Patrick and many more.. 

Likewise,  the  First  Presbyterian Union Church. of Owego are  made up of good and caring pepole such as JoAnn Gray who ran the church's emergency supply cupboard or her husband, Clifford , whose skill as a self-made chef provided our group with scrambled eggs accompanied by a whole ham for breakfast.  Then there's Gary Murray who had the difficult task of arranging all the work assignments not knowing until the last minute the number of volunteers he would have on any given morning.  Whether it be 2 or 50, he always knew where work would be needed. And last but not least, Pastor Parrish Bridges who literally gave me the keys to his church,  providing us with over night accommodations and a place to eat and rest. With a few phone calls to him, our whole relief effort was put in motion.

Although, most  accolades are given to  the volunteers, I would like to also recognize those that supported this mission with their prayers, fundraisers, and donations.  This experience has truly been a team effort by people from Owego, Rochester, East Palmyra and Webster and those whose faces we will  most  likely never see or names ever heard.  Their quiet support behind the scenes will never be known, but always appreciated.

Note:

I t has been my  privilege to be involved with projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Flower City Work Camp, the Dominican Republic and now Owego . Each time I have been rewarded above measure., but my greatest gift has been to watch the spirital growth of our young people through their volunteering.  My personality is quiet and reserved, making it difficult for me to verbalize praise or  give you a well deserved pat on the  back, but be assured that I am deeply aware of the sacrifices you young people make and the contributions you have given through volunteering.  Thank you for all your hard work and accomplishments and I encourage you to continue in your service to others.  It has been an honor and privilege working with you.

In His Service,

Auke Z Verbree

Owego Flood Relief Progress Report 3,

It is with great joy and excitement that I can announce a new phase in our continuing battle to bring flood relief to our Christian friends in Owego.  With the collaboration of East Palmyra and the Webster Christian Reformed Churches we will be able to provide  a much more focused   impact on a particular hard hit family.

Although much has been accomplished to date, two out of six homes worked on will not be ready for winter occupancy and the homeowners have decided to rent instead.  They will continue their rehab project in the spring.  Two of the more elderly homeowners have talked of  selling their property "as is" rather than submit to a  future of uncertainty.

To most homeowners, however, neither of these options are acceptable and they will be forced to deal with the reality and  circumstances  given them.  Such is the plight of the Morse Family and can be best illustrated through the following example:

Imagine that you are standing in your kitchen. Then draw a horizontal line up about three feet above the floor and extending that line across your dining room, living room, powder room and family room and back to the kitchen.  Now imagine that everything below this line, including all the items located in the basement, must be trashed and dumped on the curb. You are now standing in one large room.  All plaster, drywall and carpets have been removed, all furniture is gone, all appliances are gone and the house has no heat. 

Now imagine moving your family of four  and any salvageable items you may find to the second floor of your home. You, of course, must give up a bedroom and convert it to a make- shift kitchen and all purpose room.  You will need to install your salvaged microwave "because it was on your counter sittting high and  dry" or purchase a hot plate, and if you're lucky, you can borrow  a  student-sized refrigerator from a friend.  Individual  plug-in radiant electric heaters will be your only heat source.  The bathroom would be heated by the overflow heat of the other rooms.

Oh, by the way there is no hot water.  It seems that on September 7th  the hot water heater took a little bath of it's own and is still out of commission.

Now imagine that it's almost November.  As parents you still need to work to cover your daily living expenses, all your savings are used up,  you have no more sick or vacation days left, and your dirt floor in the basement still needs about one inch of contaminated silt and sediment  shoveled out.

While off  from work, you did manage to find and install a used replacement boiler for the house but you can't use it because the flue venting didn't  meet code. With the help of an electrician friend, you managed to install a new breaker box and some of the electric circuitry. 

This is the story of  Rick and Bettie Morse in Owego, a story that can be repeated  many times over. Their need is immediate.  Some may speculate whether this family is the right choice and the most deserving but I was reminded on this Sunday morning through our Offertory Litany that “Our gifts are not always good, and they are always imperfect.  But we give with boldness, knowing that God's love is stronger than our impurities and imperfections”.   I was reminded again later in the service when singing  the song entitled,  “We Are Members of Christ's Body”.

In His Service,

Auke Z Verbree

Owego Flood Relief Progress Report 2

This is the third week that we have had volunteers go to Owego.  This time we were joined  by members of the East Palmyra Christian Reformed Church.  After moving cleaned furniture to a small storage barn in back of a home of John and Pat Shaffer,  four of us were assigned to the home of 88 yea old Eudora Schuler.  We also met her son Billy and her granddaughter Katie.

Mrs. Schuler lives alone in a small older home, the last house down a dirt road located on the banks of the Susquehanna River.  The first thing you will learn from this fiesty woman is that she is most definitely in charge, and the second is that you don't dare discard anything without her permission.  She talked so proudly of the fact that years ago she was privileged to be the den mother for a troup of boy scouts that included five Eagle Scouts, but more importantly, she would talk with pride about her deceased husband's escapades as a member of the US Army's 10th Mountain Division.. 

Our assignment was twofold; to pre-wash all the dishes and glassware in the house.  After the flood they were carefully strewn about the backyard and would need the mud removed so that they could be washed in a dishwasher later.  This little back-breaking job was accomplished by my wife, Betty and my sister, Alice.  Both of them stood for hours at a sloped table in the shallow end of a old abandoned swimming pool all the while keeping the giant mosquitoes at bay with a high powered blower fan.   The second assignment was to move all the water-logged furniture to one room in the house for  future cleaning and to pack up all the memorabilia, knick-knacks and pictures we could find and ship them to another location for cleaning.  This job was relegated to myelf and Gary Harris with a major assist from Katie. 

At this location, although hundreds of yards wide, the Susquehanna River normally runs only 4 or 5 feet deep and is held in place by a 20 foot embankment running upward from the river's edge to the  plateau  where the house sits. Until September 7th this  barrier had  never been breached, however,  that  morning, after living in the house for 63 years, Mrs. Shuler would see her house ruined and her life changed forever as the river crested five feet above its banks.  It was sad to watch as she and Billy try to preserve the record of her family's history through the wet  documents, letters, and pictures carefully laid out to dry on the porch floor.

I will never know the whys and wherefores of disasters like these, but if it is to test the faith and resiliency of God's people, then I'm here to tell you, they have passed the test with flying colors.

With winter now fast approaching  hundreds of homes will need new furnaces and hot water heaters.  The unavailability of equipment and lack of service contractors will force many to wait out the winter and stay with friends and family.  Those that remain behind will need homes insulated and drywall installed, and if they can,  ride out the winter with an alternative heat source such as wood or electric.  Those that become homeless, without a doubt,  will be absorbed into the community through the kindness of its citizens.  

Although the Emergency Supply Cupboard is now closed and the remaining supplies distributed to the Owego Food Bank,  there is still much to be done.  If you wish  to help, contact me at 585-794-6122 or 585-671-0809 or you can  contact  the flood relief coordinator, Gary Murray, of the Owego Presbyterian Church direct at 607-687-2257.   Please remember all victims of this flood as well as those of other recent disastors in your prayers.
 
In His Service

Auke Z Verbree

Owego Flood Relief Progress Report

Last Saturday, Ed Bouwmeester and I completed shoveling mud out the basement at the home of  John and Pat Shafer, 150 Main Street in Owego.  Their house was typical of the damages caused by the flood waters of the Susquehanna River and its water shed.  When you look at the home's exterior, all you see is a beautiful pre-civil war victorian home with little signs of devastation within. Your only clue to its true condition would be the four foot  pile of trash and discarded household items strewn along the entire length of the frontage at curb side.    

Of the 1600 homes in Owego, it is estimated that 75% received flood damage.  Most homes in the center of town had water damage of three or more feet into the first floor.  All electric service panels would have to be turned off and relocated above the high water mark.   All wet interior drywall and plaster lath below the water mark would have to be removed.. 

The homes, once  so brightly decorated with their smartly  painted "gingerbread" on the outside were now mere skeletons on the inside. They were almost all void of kitchen cabinets and appliances,  first floor bathrooms had studs but no walls and the beautiful wood floors that had laid flat for over 150 years were now wavy and  buckled..  All furnaces and hot water heaters  were inoperable leaving  nothing to counteract the fast appproaching cool weather and higher humidity.  Many of these homes will be left with a perfect  environment for growing  mold.

As sad as this situation is, as devastating the problems are, and as hopeless their condition may seem, this community is made upof the friendliest and kindest people you will ever meet.  I cannot put into words the reception, we as volunteers, got from the community and the local churches. Upon arrival at 9:00 pm Friday night Pastor Parrish Bridges of the Owego Presbyterian Church handed us the keys to his Church. When  inquiring as to a good place to get breakfast, he returned  later with a bag full of eggs, bacon, orange juice, jelly and bread so we could cook our own breakfast in the Church's kitchen.   I can say without reservation that I have received more than I have given.  I'm left with the  realization that we are truly  a Community of Christ.

Reflection.

It was finally lunchtime and after spraying the basement walls and ceiling with a diluted Clorox
mixture, the cool air of that day was unusually welcome. My quick lunch of a Fluffernutter sandwich and some cheese and crackers was somewhat unfulfilling when we were told that the Owego United Methodist Church diagnally across from our worksite had posted a handmade sign declaring FREE LUNCHES.  There in front of the Church we found several people cooking hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings.  There I am, 6'2", wearing a hard hat and waiting for my burger, when I noticed the high watermark on the buildings.  It finally dawned on me, that if I had been standing there during the flood, the water would have covered me, hard hat and all.  That's a reality check that I can do without.
   
If you  feel the nudges of the Holy Spirit directing you to participate in this important flood relief effort,  please join us.  There will be many opportunities to serve for weeks and months to come.  I can assure you that your gift of prayer,  time or money  will be returned  to you many times over.

In His Service,

Auke Z Verbree