| HFI Helps in Midwest Flood |
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HFI Reservists, John and Cindy VanTiem (Michigan), Glenda Alexander (Georgia), Andy Shapiro (Tennessee) and Chuck and Sue Duby (Tennessee).
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By Andy Shapiro, HFI Reservist
June 11, 2008 came and went without significance for most Americans, but for many of the 252,000 souls living in the Cedar River basin of Iowa, normal life for them will never be the same. By Friday, June 13, the peaceful river that bisects Cedar Rapids crested at 31 feet -- twelve feet above flood stage -- due to heavy rains. Thirteen hundred city blocks and perhaps 3,400 homes and businesses were inundated with up to twelve feet of floodwater. In “Iowa’s Katrina,” most of the homes and businesses near the river suffered damage sufficient to require condemnation and many, due to federal flood definitions, could never be rebuilt. The flood showed no favoritism: rich and poor, black, white, Asian, or Hispanic -- all were affected.
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During and after this flood, the Central Division of the Salvation Army quickly mobilized resources and personnel to minister to these unfortunate victims. On July 15, I responded as a Hope Force Reservist in the second wave of volunteers for a two-week deployment. The beautiful drive from Nashville to Cedar Rapids, the view of the river from Interstate 380, and even the homes along the riverbanks visually did not foretell the devastation I would witness once I drove into the “Time Check” neighborhood of Cedar Rapids. After thirty-three years as a firefighter, I was taught to suppress tragedy, suffering, and pain; “Just do your job, don’t personalize, be professional,” I was told, but God had a bigger lesson for me in Cedar Rapids.
Everyday on the canteen, I would spend several hours loading water, Gatorade, snacks, fruit, sandwiches and hot meals. I’d drive five miles downtown and cruise the devastated streets looking for locals to feed. Fourteen hours, everyday, were needed to serve two meals, what with loading, fueling, driving, and cleaning the canteen. Each day, I had to teach the local volunteer servers how to keep food hot and not to do things that would run us afoul of the Public Health department. The air temperature and humidity were high and, as you might imagine, the conditions inside the once-flooded buildings were disgusting due to contaminants left by floodwaters. I heard from the locals that Cedar Rapids is known as the “City of Five Seasons,” but after a few days in the flood zone, some said that it should be renamed the “City of Five Smells” due to the stew of raw sewage, farm waste, and industrial food products spread around town by the river.
From my observation, Cedar Rapidians can be best described as “salt of the earth” Americans. They are white bread, meat and potatoes, Wrangler-wearing, conservative kind of folks. Harley Davidsons and American flags abound. Many of the folks we fed would take the food, and with a quiet “Thanks!” return to demolishing their ruined homes. From what I saw on the surface, emotions simmered low and were kept in check by their collective culture. If the observer looked closely, tears and frustration were evident as they went about their filthy, joyless tasks. However, as my two weeks passed, a wonderful thing began to happen between my new “friends” and me.
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I know that in a disaster, many things are lost; not only do people lose their lives and property -- they are forced to endure the lack of normalcy. In this terrible flood… routines, customs and habits were carried down river and lost. Add uncertainty to the ruin of their homes, jobs and neighborhoods --- and crushing stress ensues. I saw this quiet tragedy daily as I went out. I found that easy platitudes from me could not ease their pain. What helped, you might ask? The surprise for me was learning that our regular, consistent ministry of providing lunch and dinner with a smile and a handshake, without asking anything in return gave them hope and a sense that “normal” was returning. The sandwich and Gatorade was evidence that someone cared about them – everyday – without fail. Providing a “routine of hope” blessed them beyond measure!
So what was my lesson from Cedar Rapids? In one sentence: God wants us to “meet one another’s needs” with consistency. It doesn’t have to be a big ministry; in fact, the small, thoughtful blessing is often the best. He doesn’t assign a value to the “doing”; He only expects us to do it on a personal level. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, flood victims have been disappointed by the damage, by the city’s pace in addressing their needs, by FEMA, and by the slow process of recovery. What God showed me was that hope could come in the form of a sandwich given with consistency, with a joke, a hug, or just some understanding of a flood victim’s world turned upside-down. Tears of gratefulness were shed simply from a PB&J served with a smile! After two weeks on the Army’s canteen, I knew that my life’s work and career as a Christian firefighter had only been a prelude for God’s purpose in my life for this moment in time…to serve my new friends in Cedar Rapids. I have been changed as a result of this trip. I am certain that God would meet you in a similar fashion, given the opportunity. I can’t wait for my next chance!
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