DANVILLE — When you sign up to help with light home repairs and then a major flood occurs, you switch midstream from general aid to disaster relief.
That’s what happened to 11 volunteers from St. Joseph Parish who had worked several years with the Missionaries of the Poor, in Jamaica. After the COVID pandemic the volunteers wanted to move their efforts closer to home and connected with the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) for a mission trip to spruce up the homes of low-income residents in Kentucky.
“The parish here has a heart for mission work,” said Rev. Timothy D. Marcoe.
The mission trip had been arranged months before torrential rains flooded eastern Kentucky, killing more than three dozen people. The Danville volunteers reported to CAP to help from Aug. 7 to 12.
Their daily schedule consisted of a briefing and prayer at 7 a.m. followed by a 45-minute drive to their worksite, which was a very narrow valley between two mountains with just enough space for a line of houses to be built on both sides. The group returned to CAP at about 4:30 p.m. “to take the best shower ever, because of all the hard work,” Fr. Marcoe said. After dinner, CAP organizers held programs to help process what the volunteers had seen.
“When we first saw the flood damage, to be honest, you have to fight back some tears as well as some fears that you will not be enough for them,” said Chris and Mary Malafronte, of Danville, in an email. Adding that they saw people trying to salvage their life’s belongings and tossing possessions that had to be trashed, they said, “The lucky ones were able to make two piles, the not so lucky ones only one.”
Floodwaters had risen one to two feet within people’s homes, Fr. Marcoe said, so volunteers cut the soaked drywall away, pulled out insulation, tore up subflooring and applied a mold retardant.
“We were hauling out mud-covered everything,” he said. “The smell was horrendous: the moldy, mildewing, stagnant water.”
Both Fr. Marcoe and the Malafrontes praised their CAP team leader, Ron, for his guidance.
“Ron shared his technical knowledge and his strong faith and gave us the guidance needed to enable us to help our homeowners,” the Malafrontes said.
Many of the families worked alongside the volunteers, Fr. Marcoe said. At one place, a homeowner’s father said he had repaired flood damage to his daughter’s house just a year-and-a-half ago. Noting that the worst of the flooding occurred at night, Fr. Marcoe said he heard of an elderly woman being wakened and wondering why her foot was wet.
The Malafrontes worked at the home of a 68-year-old couple overwhelmed not only by the flood but by the uncertainty of how to return to “normal.” Even if they received FEMA financial aid, most repairs would come from churches, friends, family and volunteers.
“The first day Gloria was very despondent and fretted about what they were going to do. The second day, Ken was the one that felt helpless,” the Malafrontes said. “By the third day, they were sitting together and holding hands, talking about how good God is, and that they knew they would be all right because God was putting good people in their path.”
Mary Malafronte explained that the couple’s pastor had lent them a car, people from the church helped with possessions and the CAP volunteers showed up to help, all making a difference in the couple’s attitude.
“That was when I knew they would be okay,” Mary Malafronte said. “Ken told our team that we would always be part of his life, and I know that they will always be a part of mine.”
Fr. Marcoe and the Malafrontes appreciated CAP’s knowledge and efficiency as well as their evening debriefing programs.
“In the evening all the volunteers would gather and CAP had counselors to encourage everyone to share their day and to help with any heavy emotions that you might be dealing with,” the Malafrontes said. “Even though we were only one drop in an ocean of need, we were so appreciative for the opportunity to serve and so grateful to see God’s love in action.”
The St. Joseph volunteers are already planning to help next year and to see what progress has been made.
“My tagline for this is ‘physically exhausting, emotionally draining, but spiritually uplifting,’” Fr. Marcoe said. “There was this real solidarity that we were able to put our faith into action and help those in need. We were witnesses to God’s love in action, but His love is even bigger than our small outpouring of it.”
Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Email comments to her at CindyOHerman@gmail.com
