"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping” -Fred Rogers
On October 9, 2024 I arrived in Marshall, North Carolina at the NanoStead base camp. Like a beehive buzzing with activity you could see an army of people working tirelessly with one mission in mind. To save their town.
My friends and I arrived with supplies to help further the cleanup effort. Gas, propane, shovels, brooms and Tyvek suits all before noon.
In less than five minutes we were put to work. There is no standing around, everyone is helping. They needed eight people to raise a large tent to serve as a dining hall for all volunteers at NanoStead. Quickly and efficiently a team came together to raise a 40 foot long tent. Tables built from sawhorses and plywood, benches made from cinderblocks and two by tens. Not pretty but functional.
After the dining area was settled we went over to the PPE station and got briefed on to expect when heading to Downtown Marshall. Tyvek suits, two sets of rubber gloves, muck boots, respirators and goggles all needed to be worn to protect us from the toxic mud we will encounter. This is not a quick process and it requires help from your friends to get suited up and sealed. Once we were ready to go, we were shuttled down in the back of a pick up truck. It was a short drive as we descended down to town. Quickly we realized the severity of the devastation. People are not exaggerating the extent of damage. Words that come to mind are apocalyptic or biblical destruction.
Once we arrived we went to the field office willing to help in anyway we can. Very quickly we were told a historic home had a basement with 3 inch thick muck that needed to be removed. The homeowners Steve and Raven were incredibly appreciative of the help we had to offer. Volunteers have already started to dwindle and locals are beyond exhausted. For three hours we filled up buckets of nasty muck. We pulled down waterlogged insulation and worked in the glow of a single work light. Being in the bottom of an outhouse is the only thing that seemed comparable. Six volunteers in total put forth their time and effort and the basement for the most part clear of the thick muck.
All of us were covered head to toe in this nasty mix of mud water and god know what-else. We took a brief break to eat at the field office. I don’t think I’ve eaten a better hamburger in my life.
My friends returned to squeegee the basement while I went to gather photos of Marshall. I encountered some of the nicest people I’ve ever met and ran into the 101st and 82nd airborne army. They were setting up to deliver supplies to people cut off further in the mountains. Contrary to what people are saying the army is there and they are helping.
I reconnected with my friends and a group of volunteers shuttled back up in the pick up truck to NanoStead. This is where we went through decontamination. We removed our PPE with a team that walked us through the decontamination process. It took about 10 minutes to remove and clean are gloves, boots, goggles and respirators. We then went into a tent where our boots scrubbed and sprayed down. Another volunteer removed our boots and Tyvek suits.
After getting our shoes back on we went over and ate one of the many food options provided by another group of volunteers. For my photo and video friends it’s essentially craft service and catering on steroids. Curried goat, jerk chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers all cooked by loving and compassionate people who know that a full belly is necessary to sustain the massive amount of work that is being done and still needs to be done.
If you’re not afraid of hard work I recommend you volunteer. Our neighbors need help.
”A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."
