I mean, I overheard some WVU students conversations over the past couple of days that may have saved my jaded soul and given me hope. The WVU Student Government Association held their leadership retreat at Opossum Creek Retreat. Almost 40 students and an OSSUM advisor, spent 2 days working their butts off in really nasty conditions helping fellow Mountaineers!
“This was the most challenging work I have ever done.” Just one of the many amazing things I ”overheard.”
They crawled under houses and cut and pulled out vapor barriers that had become laden with flood mud. Flood mud is different from regular mud because it carries with it all the stuff in the flood water like sewage, diesel fuel, other liquids and chemicals and, well, more sewage. Officials have told residents not to eat anything from their gardens and not to plant a garden on ground that was flooded for 3 years!
They also helped with demolition work and carried piles of debris into the street (I had thought all that work was complete.) Not! They crawled under one house and scooped the flood mud out from the crawl space with
buckets, and spread pulverized lime (to neutralize the flood mud) under yet another house. They did other work, too, helping organize donations and stack cases of bottled water on pallets. These kids from WVU accomplished a lot in 2 days.
It does not take 40 young adults to help. We had a young lady stay last week and work a couple days all by herself. She made a difference. You can, too.
More help is on the way from Trinity Baptist Church in NC. Both groups took advantage of our offer. (Pay for your first night in anyone of our cabins, volunteer the next day for flood relief and the next night is free.)
Suffice it to say, much help is still needed. You can find out more here, and we are continuing our offer.
The impacts of this flood event will be felt for a very long time, as will the good work these young adults will no doubt continue for the rest of their lives. Thank you and keep up the GOOD work!
Let’s GO, Mountaineers!