We’ve been here in Fleming-Neon, KY for almost 2 weeks and been pretty busy, mostly getting Camp Calvary set up! We had to figure out and run electric for our 3 trailers, figure out what to do for sewer, and get water. The building where we’re setting up had several issues with busted pipes and being in the middle of nowhere, it was quite a job getting everything fixed, including replacing the hose bib, to finally get water going! There is also a lot of mud, debris, etc., from the flood in the parking lot and we’ve been slowly working on that. The internet company had to replace a main trunk wire to our area, and they finally got that up and going so I could set up our network.
By last Monday we were about 75% set up for our needs and began contacting homeowners who had expressed needs to us through others we met in the area. We also did some driving around to different areas, all within 10 miles of camp, and have seen a lot of devastation.
Many have unfortunately had their homes torn down by well meaning volunteers who then left them staring at a pile of dirt, with very little money, little to no ability to get a loan, and no insurance. It’s very sad how these so-called do-gooders rush in and act as if they know what they’re doing and use pressure tactics to get as much torn down as they can in a short period of time, “while they’re there and can do it for free, otherwise it will cost you thousands of dollars.” I say this because we witness this type of activity in EVERY storm we’ve ever responded to, especially if the area and people have never been affected by a disaster before.
Now, many of these folks are homeless. Some have secured trailers to live in, some are living in tents, and we were told one lady in her 90’s is living on her porch, and we haven’t been able to get to her yet.
The mayor of Fleming-Neon, where we’re staying, had a “government” supported, “volunteer”, former military group, go through town and condemn every building in downtown and then she started telling the homeowners the same. One 90-year-old widow we helped was told by the mayor that she needed to move out of her house NOW, because it was unsafe. Not one single engineer has looked at any of these buildings or houses. I looked at the widow’s home that was a Sears house from over 90 years ago. Yes, it is rough looking, it’s old. But I couldn’t find any signs of shifting or cracks in any of the basement block walls inside or out, etc. The only thing I could find was inside and was some old plaster damage that she said, and it looks to me like it’s been there for a long time. Never sure what their motivation is, but things like this don’t sit well with us!
Most people who have money, buy property with old buildings on them, etc., would tear down these homes, but this isn’t the world of disaster relief that we serve in. Most of the homes we work in have to be torn down to basics, the basics need fixed, and then we redo them. It is very time consuming and takes a lot of thought and preparation, and so far, The LORD has been gracious to us in figuring all of this out and getting folks back into their homes without starting from scratch and borrowing a lot of money that they may never be able to pay back. Our labor is ALWAYS free, so if we can find the materials, we can get it back, and as mentioned God is good and so far, He has NEVER failed us!
I’ve got a small plumbing job to do this week and waiting on a couple of things to rewire the 1st floor in a widow’s home.
I’m still shooting for the next couple of weeks to be ready for some volunteers, but the building we are hoping to use for volunteers is NOT ready for occupancy yet, so we’re limited to 3 people at a time to stay in our bunkhouse. If you want to come and serve, reach out to us now and we can talk about what that will look like!
On another note, our V10 is done and running now for a week with about 150 miles on it. It will be drove around this week to get it up to 500 miles and then it will get an oil change and be ready to move. We’ll need a driver to bring it to us in KY from Houma, LA, so please pray for that!
On a side note, pray for those in the path of Hurricane Ian as it appears it will be a bad storm and will probably do damages to our hometown of Sarasota.
If you’re interested in growing in The LORD as you selflessly serve others alongside of Calvary Relief, please let us know! For more info on joining us, click here.
If you’re interested in helping with any of the expenses with Calvary Relief, please click here.
If there’s ever anything you need prayer about or just need to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and let us know!
Here to serve and disciple until He calls us home,
Curt & Mary Jo
