When disasters strike, most people are content to send money or donate goods, but not Robert Godkin.
The 71-year-old Addison resident spent eight days last month in Biloxi, Mississippi aiding victims and cleaning up the mess left by Hurricane Katrina.
‘I wanted to do something up close and personal as opposed to sending a check,? said Godkin, a 1952 graduate of Oxford High School.
So, Godkin loaded his pick-up truck, drove two days and 1,100 miles, and worked as a volunteer for Hands on USA (www.handsonusa.org), a volunteer-staffed, non-profit organization dedicated to timely disaster response and relief.
Hands on USA’s volunteer center in Biloxi is currently providing on-site medical care and inoculations, tree and debris removal, home and small business cleanup, temporary roofing installation, animal shelter assistance and placement, and community center recovery.
Godkin spent his first two days working with the terior crew,? whose job was to ‘clean everything? out of house that had been submerged in flood waters in East Biloxi, which he described as ‘basically wiped out.?
Biloxi is located in southeast Mississippi on a peninsula between Biloxi Bay and Mississippi Sound on the Gulf of Mexico.
‘All the contents? of the homes had to be thrown away while the structures themselves were stripped ‘right down to the studs.?
‘Everything is sopping wet,? covered in mud and mold, according to Godkin, who described the cleanup work as ‘tough? and ‘nasty.?
‘Everything has been under saltwater and sitting there for several weeks,? he said. ‘We had to wear respirators.?
Besides being physically exhausting and hard on the senses, Godkin said the work was ’emotionally upsetting? because seeing what was left behind ? drawers full of clothes, toys, trophies, kitchen items, etc. ? makes you realize ‘these people left with virtually the clothes on their backs.?
‘All of their belongings were left behind. Everything they owned was ruined. Now these people don’t have anything.?
‘I’m 71 years old and I’ve never seen anything like this before,? he said.
After two days in the cleanup business, Godkin went to work with a medical team for five days.
Basically, his job was to talk to people, find out what they needed (clothes, blankets, help cleaning up their property, etc), prep them for the doctor, bandage wounds and take blood pressure readings.
Godkin said the most important part of his work was simply listening to the people.
‘Let them tell their story. That was the big thing. Let them talk because that’s good for them.?
‘Some of the horror stories I heard. It’s hard for me to relate them because I really got emotional listening to these people. What they had to go through ? I couldn’t imagine doing it.?
Godkin recalled hearing about these 17 people (10 adults and seven children) who became trapped in the rafters of a home with no way to break through the roof to the outside.
‘They stood on their tiptoes for four hours with their heads up (above the water), trying to breathe,? he said.
He also heard about a fireman who waded in water up to his chin for two blocks, pulling himself and his wife along a fence as they tried to make it to the safety of the nearby fire hall.
Godkin spent his eighth and final day in Biloxi fixing supper and cleaning-up after his fellow 50 to 70 Hands on USA volunteers.
Godkin said he left two days earlier than he originally planned because the mental toll was just becoming too much for him to bear.
‘I couldn’t absorb anymore. I was getting too emotional.?
Looking back on his experience, Godkin said he feels he ‘satisfied this need I had to help these people.?
‘Every time I see a disaster on TV, I really feel bad. I really break up and start crying.?
When asked if he feels he made a difference, Godkin replied, ‘I hope so.?
‘I’m sure I made a little difference, not much, but at least I feel better about it. I feel like I helped the people a little bit. Even if the only thing I did was listen to them talk ? that was very important.?
Grateful for the opportunity to ‘help my brothers and sisters? in their time of greatest need, Godkin said, ‘Everybody should go down there.?
‘It makes you a better person when you go out there and help your fellow man,? he said, noting he’s now more appreciative of just how ‘very blessed? his life is and he isn’t so quick to complain about little everyday things like other people’s driving.
‘I would encourage anybody if they want to go down there, to do it,? Godkin said. ‘I don’t care how old you are, you can do it. Those people still need a lot of help down there and they’ll need a lot of help for years to come.?
Just because he’s back home, don’t think Godkin is done helping Hurricane Katrina’s victims.
His church, Lakeville United Methodist, raised about $339 to help offset the expenses incurred during Godkin’s trip south.
But instead of using the money to reimburse his pocketbook, Godkin plans to donate it to Hands on USA with the request that it be used to buy more blankets.
‘inAfter two days in the cleanup business, Godkin went to work with a medical team for five days.
Basically, his job was to talk to people, find out what they needed (clothes, blankets, help cleaning up their property, etc), prep them for the doctor, bandage wounds and take blood pressure readings.
Godkin said the most important part of his work was simply listening to the people.
‘Let them tell their story. That was the big thing. Let them talk because that’s good for them.?
‘Some of the horror stories I heard. It’s hard for me to relate them because I really got emotional listening to these people. What they had to go through ? I couldn’t imagine doing it.?
Godkin recalled hearing about these 17 people (10 adults and seven children) who became trapped in the rafters of a home with no way to break through the roof to the outside.
‘They stood on their tiptoes for four hours with their heads up (above the water), trying to breathe,? he said.
He also heard about a fireman who waded in water up to his chin for two blocks, pulling himself and his wife along a fence as they tried to make it to the safety of the nearby fire hall.
Godkin spent his eighth and final day in Biolxi fixing supper and cleaning-up after his fellow 50 to 70 Hands on USA volunteers.
Godkin said he left two days earlier than he originally planned because the mental toll was just becoming too much for him to bear.
‘I couldn’t absorb anymore. I was getting too emotional.?
Looking back on his experience, Godkin said he feels he ‘satisfied this need I had to help these people.?
‘Every time I see a disaster on TV, I really feel bad. I really break up and start crying.?
When asked if he feels he made a difference, Godkin replied, ‘I hope so.?
‘I’m sure I made a little difference, not much, but at least I feel better about it. I feel like I helped the people a little bit. Even if the only thing I did was listen to them talk ? that was very important.?
Grateful for the opportunity to ‘help my brothers and sisters? in their time of greatest need, Godkin said, ‘Everybody should go down there.?
‘It makes you a better person when you go out there and help your fellow man,? he said, noting he’s now more appreciative of just how ‘very blessed? his life is and he isn’t so quick to complain about little everyday things like other people’s driving.
‘I would encourage anybody if they want to go down there, to do it,? Godkin said. ‘I don’t care how old you are, you can do it. Those people still need a lot of help down there and they’ll need a lot of help for years to come.?
Just because he’s back home, don’t think Godkin is done helping Hurricane Katrina’s victims.
His church, Lakeville United Methodist, raised about $339 to help offset the expenses incurred during Godkin’s trip south.
But instead of using the money to reimburse his pocketbook, Godkin plans to donate it to Hands on USA with the request that it be used to buy more blankets.