Local Families Help With Hurricane Cleanup During Fall Break

The last weekend of September, nearly 140 volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Woodstock, Canton, and Marietta organized crews to head down to Hurricane Sally-ravaged Pensacola to lend a helping hand. They joined a combined volunteer force in Florida of 1,857 church members from Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana to work on 1,115 homes in Florida and collectively donate 48,440 hours of volunteer labor.

Jake Stevens, a 19-year-old service missionary from Canton who recently graduated from Cherokee High School, adds, “This experience taught me that everyone needs help sometimes. I met people of all different races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. Yet the one common denominator was that they all needed our service. In these chaotic times, I have learned service is the best way to build bridges, to soften hearts, and to show love to our fellow man, no matter their background.”

These volunteers included youth across Cherokee County and their families who drove six hours down to Pensacola during the Fall Break to serve. They showed up Friday evening and the wee hours of Saturday morning on September 26-27 to The Church of Jesus Crist of Latter-day Saints Crisis Command Center in Pensacola. They found RV’s and tents full of volunteers surrounding the church building, and a makeshift supply center was set up in the parking lot with everything from wheelbarrows to tarps and rakes and chainsaws.

These volunteers from Cherokee County worked all day on Saturday until Sunday at noon to tarp roofs, clear fallen trees and debris, rip out flooded flooring, and offer spiritual comfort. At one home, Josh Isaksen, a 21-year-old service missionary for the church and River Ridge High School graduate, led a crew of 11 Woodstock and Canton residents who were clearing fallen trees and debris from the home of a widow who was working outside with her son. Meanwhile Andy Meredith, a 20-year-old service missionary and a Woodstock High School graduate, prayed with her for comfort.

Brenna Vickery, a 15-year-old from Sequoyah High School, said, "We helped with yard clean up, and me and my dad helped a guy fix his roof who had a lot of damage and didn't have any family around. I think it was a good opportunity to help people realize God's love for them."

John King, a Canton resident and regional church leader said, "I worked on a team of twelve volunteers that chain sawed large fallen trees, moved branches and debris to the street curb, and placed tarps on damaged rooftops. We met good people who were so appreciative that strangers from Canton, GA would travel so far to help them and not expect anything in return. Some were moved to tears as they witnessed these strangers clean up in a couple of hours what it would have taken them weeks of hard work to do themselves. Many were not physically able to do the work we were able to accomplish. As we prayed with these fellow brothers and sisters, we felt the love of our Savior Jesus Christ touch our hearts as well as theirs. We were all blessed as we served our brothers and sisters in need."

Crews of volunteers will be returning this weekend to help with ongoing cleanup efforts. Church service missionaries serve between 12-24 months and dedicate their time to helping others and growing in their faith.