Mormon Helping Hands

*A continuation of my adventures in NYC last Thanksgiving. (See also Posts 1, 2, and 3.)

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, LeAnna, Naomi and I had breakfast with my friends Dustin and Susan and their adorable daughter Fiona. After that, all of us but Susan and Fiona drove out to the Rockaways to help with Hurricane Sandy cleanup. It was really amazing to see how streamlined and efficient the Mormon Helping Hands projects were and how much the Church is doing in these hard-hit areas. We had the privilege to help a family whose basement had flooded. Before the storm, this had apparently been the "man cave" -- complete with awesome TV/sound systems, beautiful furniture, cushy sofas, fluffy carpet, spare bedrooms, and a fully-stocked bar. But thanks to Sandy, the man cave was left looking like this:

Thankfully, this house had the least damage among many of the houses in this area, and the flooding was limited mostly to the basement and garage. (Although the mold had spread to the main level of the house, as well. We bleached EV-ERY-THING in the basement and first floor. I mean EVERYTHING -- walls, floor, ceiling, etc. etc. etc.) We cleared out trash, damaged items, and remnants of what once was.

The pile of garbage at the end was unbelievable!

Me with Lee

Some of my other DC friends helped at a different house. Unfortunately, the home at which they worked suffered A LOT more damage than the one where we worked. They had to literally knock down walls and everything! These poor families!

We felt grateful and above all, humbled for the opportunity to help. I know the work we did was minimal in the grand scheme of things, but I hope and pray that if nothing else, those we helped were at least able to feel the love of their Heavenly Father as we worked with them in their homes.

BEFORE

AFTER