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On my second trip to Joplin, I got the privileged of working with some of my fellow Journeyers. Most of my work here is done deep behind the scenes so to get out and get dirty with these guys even if it was only for a couple of hours was awesome. Here is the first team's story...

The team of 18 Journeyers were given the huge task of demoing an entire home... by hand.

Heavy machinery is in short supply, but we've learned that with enough manpower, we can do just about as much work as a bobcat; it just takes us a little longer. There's no question the job was overwhelming. Where do you even start? How do you do this? Can we do this?

They just started working. Digging. Pushing. Hammering. Sawing. Head down. Shovels in.

Soon one wall was down and then another.

 

Everything had to be moved to the curb... EVERYTHING. All the debris on the floor of the house, the walls, everything. We'd shovel it all into garbage cans and drag it to the curb. Over and over again.

 

Once everything has been moved to the curb, Fema and Americorp would bring in huge cranes and haul off the debris. Demolition of a home can cost a homeowner a lot of money and we quickly learned that even those people who had insurance, the demolition is often not covered. 

With heat indexes well into 100 degrees, resting, finding/making shade and being hydrated was extremely important. Since all the trees are gone, our team first found a broken umbrella across the street and throughout the day found broken chairs to take breaks on. By the second day, the shelter got a little more sophisticated, with a tarp and even more chairs. 

As the team was breaking for lunch, one of the guys noticed a woman outside the house across the street. A couple of them walked over to talk with her and see if they could do anything for her. She wasn't able to even speak she was so emotional and overwhelmed. Her and her husband had survived the tornado and she wanted to get some cherished items out of their partially demolished home, but wasn't physically able to get into the house. 

While the guys jumped into the window, the rest of the team stood by the homeowner and just talked to her, calmed her down, and continued to ask what else they could do for her. As we've seen often, she was unsure why someone they've never met would care and want to help them so much. By the time they were done,  they had won the trust of the homeowner as she cried holding a framed quilt block her mother and quilted over 25 years ago and who recently passed away. The Journey team left for lunch reassuring her that they were coming right back after lunch if she needed anything at all.

By the end of the second day, the last wall was pushed down and the last load carried to the curb.

 

This amazing team of volunteers did hard labor, in rough conditions for a family they didn't know. They received no recognition or awards for their work. These volunteers are one of hundreds who have come and will come and selflessly give of themselves with nothing in return. Because of their work, Joplin will soon be restored and rebuilt!