Joplin

Hey!

Here I am in Joplin and finally had time to write a post. It has been crazy busy down here trying to get settled down and organized. The day before I left, I took the test to drive AmeriCorps cars which has it pros and cons. I get to drive which is great, but I must drive a lot for what we do in Joplin. My day usually starts out at 7 am by communicating with the other 5 ERT members on what type of jobs are being done that day and what tools are needed. I fill up the 15 passenger van with all the tools needed plus more tools in case throughout the day other jobs are started and need tools. I then drive all around Joplin dropping of tools for sites, with sites consisting of volunteers either gutting and salvaging a house, completely demolishing a house, raking a property that was already demolished, to other random jobs. That takes a while because most sites are in the destruction zone where the tornado had gone through, and there are no street signs. The city went through and painted the names on the streets, but it's hard to see the paint until you're right on top of the paint.

17th and something, but it's really hard to see

After dropping of the tools, I go and serve with field WIB workers. The WIB workers are contracted through the state after an emergency to do a variety of activities. ERT has some WIB workers working on removing debris on large properties that homeowners asked us to assist them with. WIB workers are unemployed who are contracted 6 months at a time. I act as their supervisor, but its hard to supervise when I can only be there for a few hours a day. Most workers are nice and want to work, but a few are really lazy and don't want to do anything but sit and gossip with each other. The past two weeks, we have been cutting trees that were severely damaged from the storm and bucking them up into fire wood all over the city.

WIB site after 50 of them spent a week de-limbing, bucking, and raking up the area.

Last week, Extreme Makeover Home Edition was in Joplin construction 7 houses in 7 days. We tried to get on tv and give AmeriCorps St. Louis a presence at the revealing of one of the houses. The reveal was done live on ABC at 7 eastern, so we woke up at 4 am and went to a bus boarding place to be shuttled to the house site by 5 to get a good seat. There were a ton of people there, but somehow we managed to push through some people to get in the second row. We saw all the co-hosts of the show and all the cameras. The most exciting part was being in the crowd when the crowd started yelling MOVE THAT BUS.

Andrew and Clare so excited to be up at 4am.

I yelled, "Michael, on 3 smile upwards to the sky" and when I got to three, this is what he did.

Getting out of the limo

Click on the link below to see me from the other side of the camera. 9 seconds in until the end, look for me to the right of Ty. I look like Wolverine.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/big-reveal-extreme-makeover-14816520


Extreme also worked on a community park that was completely destroyed and made it look amazing. They added a new pond, a new play set, a new basketball court, and a nice memorial to all the volunteers, especially AmeriCorps St. Louis.

My team around our bronze helmet at the park.

The park with the destroyed hospital in the background. It was moved 4 inches off its foundation. That bracelet to the right is what a lot of people wear to remember May 22.

Plaque mentioning AmeriCorps

I serve with the WIB workers until noon and then I have to move tools from one site to another. Sometimes, when I feel like I want to break something and help our great volunteers I grab a sledge hammer and start swinging away. But most times, the volunteers are having way too much and I just let them swing away. One day when I remembered to bring my camera with me, I was with a group of 13 years olds who were gutting a house. It was amazing to see how much fun they had and how much they actually got done. They gutted the whole house for the most part saving the homeowner a week of his own time and effort.

Before I gave them a lesson on how to swing away.

The house after a few hours.

There's a house that was right in the middle of the destruction zone where the homeowner has donated the house to volunteers and the city plans on taking to a museum. It is really quite amazing to see all the people who have come and signed their names and wrote messages.

Outside looking in

Looking outside

 Another day, we worked with the producers from extreme and they filmed up removing a house's broken up foundation. There was about 30 people there with the film crew, but when the film crew left, so did the people. Us 5 ERT guys stayed back and hauled half of the foundation to the curb by ourselves.

Hey extreme volunteers who only wanted to be on camera and not help.

Chad, Wooly Mammoth getting mic'd up for his interview

ERT and two other volunteers removing all the cement

Last Friday I was near where the Extreme team was constructing 7 houses helping an elderly lady fix her fence, when Michael from extreme walked over and started talking to us. It was very weird. Some Walmart executives were volunteering with me got some pictures of me. Warning, my hair makes me look like a hippy. To be fair, I took off my helmet to talk to him.

I drive around 50 to 80 miles around Joplin everyday. I have seen some of the saddest and most heartbreaking things ever here. Whether it's talking to an elderly homeowner who lost everything and can't physically remove debris and rebuild, to a house that still stands but has been condemned, to driving down Main street and seeing the actual path of where the tornado went. Everything was wiped out, leaving nothing but piles of debris and trees.

Driving south down Main street, looking towards where the Tornado went.

20th and Main. The Tornado went right across the road and took out all everything in it's path, businesses and neighborhoods.

Not too sure where this is, but theres nothing left.

On the perimeter of the tornado, where some things survived.

Looking west. 6 miles long, and a mile wide of destruction

22nd and Pearl after the tornado with Pickle

Same spot before the storm

Here's what I was for Halloween. I'm with two girls who get paid by the state to work in our office. Unfortunately this Halloween, I didn't hand out candy or even see one trick or treater because I was in the office until really late.

Pumpkin patch kids. We were the only ones who had a costume at work

They tried to be tall like me by cheating and standing on chairs, but I was still taller, almost.

That's it for now. I'll try to take more action pictures of what I'm doing, but its hard to do when I'm out in the field picking up and throwing trees around. I'll be home for Thanksgiving to see Sarah and my family so everyone get excited for that. Until later.

Shamucas