As a matter of course, when I present VIND activities to our Board of Directors, to a group with whom we network or to our grantors; I like to share “feel good stories.” It is the exact paycheck people need when doing this type of work! This is a story that came from out of our canvassing efforts by VIND’s Team Fay (our NEG temporary staff) that says it all.
Two little boys answered the knock on the door when our staff was passing out brochures for VIND’s response to T.S. Fay. An Hispanic family with sons (ages 8 and 11) and an elderly disabled grandmother were in a neighborhood impacted by Fay’s flood waters. The grandmother, who spoke no English, was anxious about their neighbors and encouraged her grandsons to find out what they could and bring back the stories to tell her. The boys found two rubber rafts and began to float from house to house. They ended up using the rafts to cart neighborhood pets to safe, dry ground. At each turn, they stopped at their home filled with exciting news to keep Grandma updated. Even after the flood waters receded, they continued their neighborhood vigil. So when Team Fay entered the neighborhood, the boys excitedly accompanied them to pass out the brochures and filled them in on all the stories, including damage assessments! “Mrs. Smith’s door doesn’t work; the people across the street had to throw out all their rugs an’ stuff.” There is no age limit, it appears, young or old, to assist with disaster recovery!!!!
Mary-Ann Luther, Program Coordinator
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