 |
| Phoenix House volunteers help salvage damaged property from flood damaged homes in the village of Sidney. |
In late June, heavy rains caused extensive flooding threatening lives, homes and property in upstate New York. Delaware County was declared a State Disaster Emergency. Although the Phoenix House residential treatment center there suffered relatively little damage, what residents wanted to know was: “How can we help?”
Once the rains stopped, Phoenix House volunteers traveled to the nearby storm stricken village of Sidney, where flash flooding had devastated many homes. “Phoenix House were some of the first volunteers on the scene… It gave our residents reassurance that there was help to be had and people who cared about them and their losses,” wrote Karee L. Gilmore, Deputy Treasurer of the Sidney Civic Center. “The volunteers from Phoenix House always came in with smiles on their faces even after the first day knowing what depressing conditions they were going to be working in. Taking people’s lifelong possessions to the curb to be disposed of, and removing mud and debris from the homes was truly sad.”
“Your volunteers left a lasting impression on those they helped. Phoenix House volunteers working along beside us made us realize that we are very lucky to live in a country with such caring people.”
The community outreach didn’t end there. Eleven residents volunteered to spend their summer weekends at Walton Fairground, helping to rebuild and repair the site of the county fair – a huge event in the area. They contributed to almost 800 hours of volunteer work. It was thanks to the hard work of Phoenix House residents and other volunteers that the fair was able to open on time. “Without all this volunteer manpower we couldn’t have accomplished all that we have,” said Fair Board President Gary Tweedie. “A tragedy such as this, it really brings out the good in people.”
More news from Phoenix House...
|
