My trip to Washington, IL with Samaritan's Purse

[terrehautian]

Went to Washington, IL today and was my first time in the "hot zone" (area of most devastation), no matter how much you see it on TV, the devastation of an EF 4 tornado is simply breath taking in person. On top of that, I was by homes that just needed a roof and windows and beside that house on either side is homes completely devastated with just a wall or two left. Homes with roofs ripped off and just across the street is a library and a school that isn't even touched.


Probably the best thing that happened was on the property I was at, the home owner was there and she said if you can find my cat that would be good. A little bit later, a cat bolted from the a room to a bedroom and went underneath the bed. The cat was coaxed out from the bed with food and sure enough it was the owners cat. Almost two weeks since the storm and the only thing the cat needed was some fluids. When the owner left with the cat to have it checked out, she said "I got all I want, just make judgement calls on the rest".


Samaritan's Purse Disaster Response has been in the area since a few days after the storm hit and after we finished that one job, we went looking for the last job in the area. It was walking a field, we could never find it. We ended up leaving after half day of work because there was no work.


Samaritan's Purse was wrapping their time in Washington, IL today. Prior to today around 800 people and around 10k man hours had been volunteered. There was probably another 50 there today. We started out at one property, but ended up not a lot of work needed to be done there. While waiting there, I noticed a house with minimal damage (roof and windows).





Then right next to it is a house completely destroyed.



This was a camper that was in a driveway. It was picked up, sliced a house in half and the frame was wrapped around a tree.



More houses completely destroyed, others damaged, and others fine.






This house was across the street from the place I worked



This was the house we were working at (packing up belongings inside).

 

[SMiller]

What a joke that organization was in Henryville, bunch of yuppies rolled in to town on a big bus with their new gloves and shirts on taking pictures of each other in front of destroyed homes then had the nerve to put their signs in peoples yards so they could claim credit for helping the family, always going out of their way to make sure they were in the media showing what a great scam they were as well. What a total joke, as long as they have their hand in .gov's pocket and people keep donating money as is well right???

I seen what real Hoosiers looked like and what they did and they sure didn't put on some fancy vest and parade around taking pictures and having fun, I worked for 3 days strait until I collapsed from working my body until it gave, used my own fuel, food, money and didn't ask/want a thing because it was the right thing to do, people don't know how it really works until they see it first hand. What portion does the red cross really apply to helping people and what does their CEO make a year...

Sorry for ruining your thread, I am sure you are a great guy and go out of your way to help people but the "organization" left a bad taste in my mouth I will never forget!

 

[indykid]

What a joke that company was in Henryville, bunch of yuppies rolled in to town on a big bus with their new gloves and shirts on a took pictures of each other in front of destroyed homes then had the nerve to put their signs in peoples yards so they could claim credit for helping the family, always going out of their way to make sure they were in the media showing what a great scam they were as well. What a total joke, as long as they have their hand in .gov's pocket and people keep donating money as is well right???

I wonder if you are talking about the same group? I was with Samaritan's Purse on Monday, Nov 25 and at none of the houses did we put up signs with their name one it. In fact we were told that if the media was to show up we were to stay away from them.

Joke, you sure you are talking about the right people? We spent the time removing debris from the yards as best as possible. We were up on the roofs of the homes either putting up new tarp or repairing tarp already in place. Everyone I saw from Samaritan's Purse was busting their butts helping the homeowners and anyone else who needed it.

Yuppies? Check the requirements for even being allowed to help on a project run by Samaritan's Purse. They don't allow just anyone to help.

I hope to God you never need the help provided by these people, but if you do at least they will treat you better then you treat them.

And to see that you are in Westfield. How about stopping by Crossroads Church at Westfield at the corner of Grassybranch and 191 and ask about those who went to Washington Illinois to work with Samaritan's Purse for the truth.

To terrehautian, quite an experience. When we went on Monday the police still had the center of Washington blocked off to relief workers, so we helped in the area just outside the city to the southwest in the direction the tornado came from. Still tons of damage, and many greatful people seeing that we were their to help them asking nothing more than... well nothing.

 

[Trigger Time]

To those who give of their time, work, knowledge, love, money, for nothing other than to help their fellow man, I have the highest level of respect and praise for what you selflessly do.

for those that do this for monitory gain or praise alone, your scum bags of the highest order.

 

[pute62]

To those who give of their time, work, knowledge, love, money, for nothing other than to help their fellow man, I have the highest level of respect and praise for what you selflessly do.

for those that do this for monitory gain or praise alone, your scum bags of the highest order.

^^^^
This right here! When you give for no gain you're a hero.
When you give to receive, you really suck!!!

 

[nascarfantoo]

Thanks to terrehautian and all others who give unselfishly.

 

[terrehautian]

Smiller, I will edit this post later or post a new one to respond to your post, I think you are thinking of some other company as SP is an organization. I have some thoughts on your post (a few I cant say on here) but when I am not at church I will respond to your post.

 

[dreamer56]

I know quite a few people who lost their home two weeks ago. Just read an email update this moring from a good friend of mine who lost his home in Washington -totally destroyed - interestingly in his email was a statement about his contact with SP folks that was all positive - worked all day clearing debris, cutting trees, etc off his property - they asked for nothing and left no signs - -

Thankfully there will always be people who will charge to the front to help - unfortunately there will also be individuals who will take advantage of a tragedy - thanks to those who help - just hope it continues over the years it will take to rebuild over here.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Matthew 25:31-46

 

[indykid]

What a joke that organization was in Henryville, bunch of yuppies rolled in to town on a big bus with their new gloves and shirts on taking pictures of each other in front of destroyed homes then had the nerve to put their signs in peoples yards so they could claim credit for helping the family, always going out of their way to make sure they were in the media showing what a great scam they were as well. What a total joke, as long as they have their hand in .gov's pocket and people keep donating money as is well right???

I seen what real Hoosiers looked like and what they did and they sure didn't put on some fancy vest and parade around taking pictures and having fun, I worked for 3 days strait until I collapsed from working my body until it gave, used my own fuel, food, money and didn't ask/want a thing because it was the right thing to do, people don't know how it really works until they see it first hand. What portion does the red cross really apply to helping people and what does their CEO make a year...

Sorry for ruining your thread, I am sure you are a great guy and go out of your way to help people but the "organization" left a bad taste in my mouth I will never forget!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SMiller, thanks for updating your post. Let me tell you up front, the Red Cross is in no way affiliated with Samaritan's Purse. They are two totally unrelated organizations.

And the only large vehicle Samaritan's Purse brings is a semi loaded with tarps, tools and other supplies needed for disaster relief. They then off load the semi into pick up trucks that go to the various home owners who signed up for their help. And the sign up is for legal reasons to allow us onto their property to help them. Yes it is hard to believe that some people don't want the help, but at one of the homes I was at, I was told that in no way am I to set foot off the property as the neighbor not only didn't want our help, but acted in a way that I didn't want to test his threats.

 

[terrehautian]

What a joke that organization was in Henryville, bunch of yuppies rolled in to town on a big bus with their new gloves and shirts on taking pictures of each other in front of destroyed homes then had the nerve to put their signs in peoples yards so they could claim credit for helping the family,

Samaritan's Purse comes in with a few pick ups, a few trailers, and a semi trailer filled with tools. Semi tractor and trailer with tools are valued at about 1/2 million and they have five of these units to respond to any disaster in the USA (they also have a Canadian division with semi's like this).



As for signs, in previous places, they have put up signs saying that they worked on a property. This serves a few purposes to me. First, if someone is looking for help and don't know who to ask for help, maybe this sign and the property might get someone to ask for help. Second would be is if someone whose home wasn't damaged and they wanted to donate to someone, then maybe they might donate to SP. In Washington, I didn't see a single sign. Most signs are in long term rebuilds.

I am not sure what you are talking about yuppies on buses. On all my trips everyone has came in on church vans/small buses, personal cars, or flew in and rented vehicles. I probably seen more awesome people on these trips and never ever seen any yuppies. Some of the people I have met are volunteers who are working with SP as supervisors and stay for weeks without getting paid.

Yes, when we are done working, we do take group photos and sometimes pictures of the devastation, but we work and sometimes work very hard.

always going out of their way to make sure they were in the media showing what a great scam they were as well. What a total joke, as long as they have their hand in .gov's pocket and people keep donating money as is well right???

As someone who has been on eight trips, the only time any media has shown up to a work site is on my last trip to New Orleans on the fifth year anniversary of Kartina. A CNN team was lost and happened to come onto our site. They were trying to find the lower 9th. We pointed them to the right direction and a little later on they came back and interviewed a few of us (not myself). Media is covered in the meeting before the work day (or week). We are not to speak for SP as an organization. We can only speak about us and why we are there. If they want to talk about SP, we are supposed to contact a SP employee.



I am not sure what you mean with hand in the .gov's pocket. If you are talking about getting money from the goverment, I can't say for 100% sure, but I am willing to bet that 100% of any money they get comes from donations. They have five immediate response trucks. Semi tractor trailers that are stocked with tools, chainsaws, safety gear, whatever you will need. These units cost money to maintain. They have to pay drivers to drive these units to and from response sites. One person I know now has his CDL and had volunteered with SP before. He was trying to get his CDL, but couldn't find a truck to test on. To get his CDL, he is taking a year off of volunteering and went to Con Way's trucking school. Got his CDL and is working for them for a year so he can have his CDL! When I retire, I hope I am in good enough health to go to DR site to DR site like others and help people.

Also speaking of money, they also have many heavy duty pick ups with trailers filled with tools for rebuilds. When SP does a rebuild, once the property owner clears the process for being approved, they do not pay a dime to have a brand new house or house renovated. They put in sweat equity, but even Habitat does that. In tornado rebuilds, EVERY house has a safe room rated to withstand five minutes in an EF5 supposedly. These are not cheap, on a 50k house, these run another 8-10k (cinder block walls, rebar inside the blocks with concreteed and a rebar concrete roof with a triple dead bolts steel door.

Also, any volunteer, once they get to a rebuild site does not pay for housing, food or anything unless they go out. The food isn't some cheap food either, it is almost gourmet food! I think I probably gained weight on trips I been on (and the motto is that if you don't gain 10lbs on a trip, you can't leave, jokingly.

I seen what real Hoosiers looked like and what they did and they sure didn't put on some fancy vest and parade around taking pictures and having fun, I worked for 3 days strait until I collapsed from working my body until it gave, used my own fuel, food, money and didn't ask/want a thing because it was the right thing to do, people don't know how it really works until they see it first hand. What portion does the red cross really apply to helping people and what does their CEO make a year...

Sorry for ruining your thread, I am sure you are a great guy and go out of your way to help people but the "organization" left a bad taste in my mouth I will never forget!

EDIT: I see you updated your post and said it was the Red Cross, as the previous posted pointed out, SP and REd Cross are not related in anyway.

SP was and is founded and ran by Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son).

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

If you are on facebook , this is the DR's facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/SPdisasterresponse