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The windows are blown out and the steeple is gone, but little Handsboro Presbyterian Church continues to minister to the Gulfport community in spite of its own wounds. It has become one of the focal points for work teams in the area.
Tuesday, March 28th, Bill Davis called his wife, Jackie, this evening and said things are going along pretty well. He has a crew of 6 teenage boys working with him. Alex is on the crew with Bill, but Nick is with someone else. He didn't say where the other kids are from. Today they did some dry wall and taping and mudding. The temperature in the afternoon was getting warm, but it was about 60 as the sun went down. There is still a lot of debris everywhere. Some crews are doing roof work and some are doing yard work.
On March 30th, Mike Williams wrote, "I spoke to Leon with Group 1 and they are doing well. He said the first day (Monday) was a little disorganized getting everyone to their job sites and getting people working together. He said the work went smoother with each passing day. Everyone was very satified and found the work very rewarding. Dee and Jerry are working on a roof. They got sunburn the first day so he definitely recommended sun screen. Some people are working on inventory at a FEMA warehouse and others are cleaning some homes."
This is the roofing job that Mike wrote about. A local resident hired a contractor who turned out to be a scam artist. He put new shingles on over rotten roof boards, charged an incredible $17,000 for the job, and escaped before being discovered! As if the residents hadn't already been through enough heartache!
Hearing about the crime, the church workers proceeded to tear off all the new shingles, remove the rotten roof sheathing, and bad rafters and insulation. Then they replaced all the bad wood and insulation and reroofed the house, all in one week, working 10 hours a day!
This church has been spared some of the terrible destruction because of its location and construction. In return, the congregation has virtually turned the facility over to the disaster assistance workers from all over the country! Their hospitality has made the experience of laboring and living in a new place much easier for the workers. Thanks, Westminster!
They have a fully equipped kitchen and have constructed comfortable sleeping accomodations for the workers, some inside the church and others outside in air-conditioned tents.
Marilyn Grandeffo sent this email on Monday night, April 3rd:
"We're waiting in line to use Mike Schmeling's laptop & it's finally my turn.
I assisted General Scharine in the air conditioned kitchen today, feeding
over 120 people, including lots of teens. They were delighted with our
offerings of lasagna, chili & barbequed beef. We were also assisted by Miss
Lavinia from a Presbyterian church in Georgia. She calls me Miss Marilyn,
and "ma'am"... those lovely southern manners. Other people want my job! I'm
helping again tomorrow with food, and then will take my turn on the house site,
painting.
Today people mostly did dry wall, mudding & painting. The couple who owns the
house lives in a FEMA provided trailer next to the house. They are in their
70's and celebrated their 50th anniversary shortly before the hurricane!
Better go... it's late and others are waiting to use the laptop. My trip down was
uneventful, but tiring. It's very hot & humid.
-Marilyn"
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