Clean-up Crews Needed

I talked to some folks day before yesterday who came down to Lakeshore for the first time since the storm. They could not believe the utter devastation, the number of downed trees, the piles of rubble strewn everywhere they looked. The scene overwhelms the senses. Their jaw dropped when I reminded them that they were viewing the area after 3 1/2 weeks of clean-up. A lot has been done, but the clean up task remains monumental.

Chain Saw Work: If you remember the old game “pick up sticks” you will get some idea of what the landscape looks like in many areas of Lakeshore; only lots bigger. I couldn’t begin to estimate how many trees were snapped off or uprooted . We have several on the church grounds and countless others on church member’s property.

In addition to downed trees, we have a 100X40 foot wooded area of our church property we need clear cut. We will probably place a temporary building here so that we can keep the main portion of our land open for new construction.

Portable Saw Mill: If anyone happens to have access to a portable saw mill and the expertise to operate it, we should be able to make lumber out of many of the trees. I do not know anything about this, but it seems to be something worth looking into.

Debris Removal: Tree limbs, household appliances, children’s toys, clothing, pieces of furniture, concrete blocks, and all manner of debris litter the landscape like grotesque monster confetti. All of this, large and small, needs to be removed. If you can operate a Bobcat, a tractor, a wheel barrel, or even a garden rake or broom, we could use you.

House Demolition: Most of the houses even partially left standing will need to be demolished. For example, you can see what the Fricki’s house looks like. Most of our member’s homes look like that or worse. As soon as the insurance companies give the OK, these houses will have to be torn down and hauled away.

Dirt Fill: Many trees were snapped and broken off at various heights, but many others came up completely by the roots leaving massive holes in the ground. After we haul off these roots systems, we will need to bring in lots of dirt fill. We will also need to build up the marshy areas of our church property to prepare for the new construction.

If you would like to schedule a trip down, we could use all the help we can get. Just tell me when you would like to come and what kind of work your group can do and we will point you in the right direction. Please put “clean up,” and perhaps the date you would like to come, in the subject line to help me keep things organized. You can contact me at elbourne@lakeshorebaptist.net.