OBI volunteers carried countless buckets of mud, ruined clothing, and flooded appliances out of their flooded basement.

LINTON, North Dakota - Eight months ago, Mike and Sharon moved their family from Mobile, Ala., to this small town in the outskirts of Bismarck, N.D., to escape the constant threat of hurricanes and flooding along the Gulf Coast.

The last thing they expected was for floodwaters from the Red River to engulf their new home last month.

It was just the latest in a series of setbacks for Mike and Sharon, who have seven children. Last year their 18-month-old daughter, who is handicapped, needed surgery to put two shunts in her brain.

Like many families in this poor rural community, they have struggled financially, especially with the cost of their daughter’s medical care. They have also had several recent deaths in the family.

At first, the family tried to ride out the flood, but they quickly realized they needed to escape. As they left their home in their old pickup truck, the engine burnt out. They managed to make it to safety—but with the heartbreaking knowledge that their worst flood fears had come true.

Since the floodwaters crested, OBI’s disaster relief team has been in Linton assessing the damage and coordinating volunteer efforts.

After hearing about Mike and Sharon’s story, they immediately stepped in to help.

“When I met Sharon, I could see she was broken and overwhelmed, so I put my arms around her and just held her while she cried,” said Jody Herrington, OBI’s director of U.S. disaster relief.

OBI's Jody Herrington talks with Mike and Sharon outside their flooded home.

Adding to Sharon’s heartache was the fact that many of the family heirlooms her mother gave her before she died were still lost among the mud-covered belongings in her basement.

In particular, she was desperate to find her Christmas ornaments.

As OBI volunteers carried countless buckets of mud, ruined clothing, and flooded appliances out of the home, Joe Boyle, OBI’s lead foreman, slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and went hunting through the mountain of debris for Sharon’s ornaments.

The OBI team and volunteers worked all day, in knee-high snow and freezing conditions, to restore the family’s home.

“I have tremendous respect and gratitude for our volunteers,” Herrington said. “The conditions here are treacherous and mucking out homes is hard work!”

By the end of the day, Mike and Sharon’s home was completely cleaned out—and even better, Joe was able to tell Sharon that her Christmas ornaments were found.

In this forgotten little community, far away from larger-scale relief efforts, at least 75 homes will need to be gutted and cleaned up. Most of the residents are elderly and poor, and like Sharon and Mike, desperate for the relief OBI and volunteers can bring.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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