Called “the forgotten city” during recovery from Hurricane Katrina, Bogalusa, La., may now become known as the community that never forgets. Nearly a dozen of its citizens are in Macon County cleaning up debris from the great ice storm of 2006 [in mid-December] because Illinois Southern Baptists are the ones who came to them last year when disaster relief teams seemed to be going everywhere else.
DECATUR, Ill. – Called “the forgotten city” during recovery from
Hurricane Katrina, Bogalusa, La., may now become known as the community
that never forgets. Nearly a dozen of its citizens are in Macon County
cleaning up debris from the great ice storm of 2006 [in mid-December]
because Illinois Southern Baptists are the ones who came to them last
year when disaster relief teams seemed to be going everywhere else.
“They arrived before some of us were able to get home,” said Ira Craft.
“When we heard you had a problem, we said, ‘It’s our turn.’ “
Craft, 71, is among 11 members of Bogalusa’s new Southern Baptist
chain saw team who traveled more than 800 miles to Decatur on Tuesday.
They joined about 35 other Southern Baptists from all over
Illinois who have been staying at Tabernacle Baptist Church and working
since Monday.
The Illinoisans said it made them feel good to know their work in
Bogalusa, a community of about 13,000 people along the Mississippi
border, inspired another Southern Baptist disaster relief team to
organize.
Joyce Pettijohn even had some of the Louisiana volunteers pose by
their equipment trailer so she could photograph them Thursday morning
because a message painted on the back indicates it was given in honor
of “Illinois Baptist Relief Teams for helping save our city, Bogalusa,
La.”
“Isn’t this wonderful?” Pettijohn said.
Southern Baptist] volunteers had taken care of more than 175
houses by the end of Thursday and the United Way would evaluate how to
deploy crews standing by from American Baptist and Seventh Day
Adventist churches next week, after most of the Southern Baptists leave
Friday evening or Saturday morning, officials said.
Two 16-foot trailers packed with coats, hats, gloves and canned
food from Bogalusa followed the Louisiana volunteers into Decatur on
Wednesday. The goods will be distributed by the Salvation Army’s social
services office at Church and Wood streets starting today or Monday,
said Major Bob Gauthier.
The Rev. Dave Hedden, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Bogalusa,
said 32 people from eight churches have been trained to volunteer with
the chain saw ministry and that three churches besides Highland are
represented in Decatur: First, Main Street and Memorial Baptist
churches.
“This is the first work we’ve done that’s not connected to Hurricane Katrina,” said Hedden, 50. “It’s really our maiden voyage.”
On Thursday, the Louisiana crew moved branches and sticks to the curb
on Decatur’s west side before heading to Warrensburg to join other
Southern Baptist volunteers.
They said they were made to feel welcome everywhere they went.
Neighbor Jan Graham, 54, added her thanks to those of Jean
Wortman, 80, as Craft, his 42-year-old son, Rob, Jim Blackwell, 71,
Jewell Brumfield, 68, and John Kimble, 61, cleared Wortman’s front yard
and sidewalk of everything but sawdust on West Packard Street.
“It’s great you’re doing this for her,” Graham said.
“I can’t imagine people going that far to do something like this,”
Wortman said. “It’s wonderful people can work together that way.”
As all 11 volunteers converged later to clear 74-year-old Ida Tackett’s
sidewalk of branches and sticks on West Cerro Gordo Street, service
manager Doug Zinn of Marquis Beverage invited them to stop by next door
for free coffee and hot chocolate.
“We’re getting a good reception from everybody,” said Jeremy Seal, 31.
“Sometimes after a disaster, you don’t think you can even make a dent,
but we know a dent matters.”
Reprinted with permission from the Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.