Bower Hill Community Hunger Project for Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Last March at one of the Lenten Series Wednesday evening meetings, it was decided that Bower Hill Community Church should help the hungry. As a result the Ocean Springs, Mississippi Hunger Project was developed.
This past Monday morning at 6:30 , the J Team (John Zoll and his son, Jonah, and myself) left the church’s parking lot driving a 26 foot Penske truck loaded with 298 boxes of non-perishable food , each box weighing on the average 55 lbs. Final destination - Christus Victor Lutheran Disaster Response Center, Ocean Springs, Mississippi to provide food for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
We decided to have the truck weighed since we were not permitted to exceed 26,000 lbs. We drove to Kiefer Coal and Supply Company in Bethel Park and they weighed the truck for 28,640 lbs. Their scale was small and could only weigh the front of the truck first then the back of the truck. They told us to go to South Hills Movers in Bethel Park, which we did, and their scale is huge weighing the truck for 28,760 lbs.
We then drove back to the church and removed 48 boxes of food to have the truck weigh within the legal limits. We finally got on the road by 9 AM and drove to Franklin, Tennessee, and stayed at a motel overnight.
On the road at 6:30 AM Tuesday we drove only 4 miles south on I-65. The truck would not go over 40 miles an hour on a 70 mile per hour interstate. We stopped along the side the road and called the emergency number for Penske. A service man from Penske by the name of Billy came and checked the truck but could not find anything wrong. He decided to have the truck towed to Penske, 21 miles north off I-65. John and Jonah drove with Billy, and I waited 1 1/2 hours for the tow truck which had to drive only 20 miles. Our Penske truck was towed north to Penske and exchanged for a new truck. We were told that either we had to load the boxes from the old truck to the new truck or hire a crew to do so. After talking to Penske Pennsylvania a crew was hired to put the boxes of food in the new truck at the cost of Penske Pennsylvania. We were delayed over 6 1/2 hours, and got on the road again at 1:20 PM. Drove to the Lutheran Disaster Response Center’s warehouse in Ocean Springs and arrived there at 10:10 PM. We were met by the house manager, John Fitzpatrick. He showed us around the warehouse and we got to bed at 11:30 PM.
The truck got unloaded Wednesday from 8:40 to 9:20 AM. We left the warehouse at 10 AM and drove around Ocean Springs to see various disaster sites. We then drove north to Franklin, Kentucky to get a motel for the night but they were all full.
The next town north is Bowling Green, Kentucky and all the motels were full there also. Western Kentucky College had a graduation, and we had to drive 40 more miles north to Cave City for a motel. Checked into the motel at 9:15 PM, had dinner and to bed. Got on the road again at 6:30 AM Thursday and drove home. Our trip totaled 2,133 miles round trip.
What would you say if:
1. You could only drive your vechile 40 miles an hour on a 70 mile per hour highway
2. You were driving south on I-65 in Tennessee starting at mile marker 65 last Tuesday at 6:30 AM, and did not gain any miles in driving but lost 21 miles.
3. You waited 1 1/2 hours for a tow truck which was only 20 miles away.
4. You rode in the passenger seat of the tow truck while your vechile was being towed, and was told by the driver that your seat belt did not work and the driver was not wearing a seat belt. You then looked out the window and saw a sign that said “Buckle Up or Pay Fine. Click It or Ticket.
5. Was told by Penske Tennessee that John, Jonah and I had to take the 250 food boxes off the broken down truck and load them on the new truck. Each box weighing an average of 55 lbs.
After all said and done, the J Team said thank you to God that no one was hurt, our mission was accomplished and we got home safely.
We thank everyone for their prayers for us and the nice words of encouragement. and all of your concerns for us. We are thankful that God was with us and we were successful in being part of the hunger project to help those in need. Yes, the Church’s Mission did get accomplished.
We did receive written notes from the congregation to read along the way which we did. We are thankful for the notes and the words written on them. I would like to read just a few to you at this time.
We know that many of you were sending and receiving emails about our trip. We thank those of you that were doing so.
Thank you all for helping with the Hunger Project and being successful in accomplishing the mission.
Jim McAnulty's Additional Commentary
June 10, 2006
Comments About Christus Victor Lutheran Disaster Center
When we arrived at the warehouse of the Center on Tuesday at 10:10 PM , we were greeted by John Fitzpatrick, House Manager, of the Center. John welcomed us with open arms and was very gracious in giving us a walking tour of the warehouse. John is a volunteer and has been at the Center since last November. He is a writer and is from the Poconos of Pennsylvania.
The warehouse can house 200 volunteers and has several bedrooms with bunk beds, which were built by the volunteers. A company donated very good mattresses for the beds, and they are very comfortable to sleep on. There were 90 volunteers there the night we arrived. Quiet time begins at 10 PM and we were quiet during the time John acquainted us with the place. We got to bed at 11:30 PM and, of course, slept on the bunk beds.
Up at 5:30 AM on Wednesday, breakfast at 6 AM and short worship service at 7 AM. Then the volunteers received their assignments for the day to go out to various houses that needed repairs on the outside as well as the inside. Some volunteers stayed in the warehouse to repair and remodel. During Hurricane Katrina the roof was blown off the warehouse and much water ruined the inside. The warehouse is on one floor and is spacious with very large rooms to hold donated food, tools and anything else needed for the volunteers. The entire warehouse needs much work done. It is owned by the County and leased to the Lutherans. Volunteers have been to the warehouse from every state as well as foreign countries and as far away as Australia. The state and federal government charge the City of Ocean Springs for cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina, and the volunteers get credited with $17.50 per hour of volunteer work which is a credit toward the charges by the state and government. We did not see any debris laying around the City, which has been taken away by the state or government. Metal has been recycled, wood used to repair houses and rest delivered to a land fill.
Anheuser Busch donated 250,000 cases of water in 12 ounce cans. Krogers has donated cartons and cartons of peanut butter. This may last before the end of summer. Most food and drinks donated by various companies have expired but they still good to eat and drink per John Fitzpatrick. People are lined up each day from 9 AM until 4 PM to get bags of food and anything else the Lutheran Center can provide. What ever is given to the people has been received by the Center from contributions such as what we delivered by truck.
The Center provided 12 people and with the three of us the truck was unloaded Wednesday morning which took only one half hour. Not only were our boxes of food placed in the warehouse but they were immediately opened and then sorted to be used right away.
Residents of Ocean Springs are still living in tents and cars. The City is a disaster and needs amounts of work beyond the imagination. The Lutherans have to be commended for their work for the residents of Ocean Springs. Our government needs to help also so that the city, residents, dwelling places, etc. can be restored to what they were before Hurricane Katrina.
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