Record flooding hit the city of Detroit on August 11, 2014. This left many residents with homes damaged by the rising waters. Without the resources or volunteers to help recover from this tragedy, Americorps began calling on crews from around the country for help.
One of them was our own Washington Conservation Corps (WCC)
crew; which readily accepted the challenge. Read on for a firsthand account of
their journey to aid in the recovery effort, written by crew members Ashley
and Landon.
Greetings from Detroit,
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| Our WCC crew drove 2,400 miles to begin their month deployed in Detroit. |
The deployment has
been a life-changing experience to say the least. There’s nothing like starting
it off with a three and a half day, 2,400-mile drive, to get the ball rolling.
Games were played, poems were written and way too much fast food was consumed,
but the bonding experience was invaluable.
We arrived in
Detroit on Saturday, November 22 in the late afternoon to find St. Andrew's Monastery,
our home away from home for the next 30 days, bustling with Americorps members. A
number of Americorps affiliated groups have been involved in the relief effort
including: Americorps
St. Louis ERT, California Conservation Corps, Tribal Civilian Conservation Corps, Minnesota/Iowa Conservation Corps, St. Bernard Project, National Civilian Conservation Corps, Arizona Conservation Corps and Montana Conservation Corps.
St. Louis ERT, California Conservation Corps, Tribal Civilian Conservation Corps, Minnesota/Iowa Conservation Corps, St. Bernard Project, National Civilian Conservation Corps, Arizona Conservation Corps and Montana Conservation Corps.
The accommodations have been amazing, each team
getting their own set of private rooms and a communal kitchen fully stocked
with cookware and industrial stovetop. The only real point of contention around
the base camp is getting in line for the “good” shower, but everyone has
adapted well to the wait.
Boots on the ground
Working around the suburbs of Detroit has been an awe inspiring aspect
of the deployment. The teams have experienced many different demographic areas
of the city, from the least fortunate to the ritziest, revealing an astonishing
disparity. Regardless of the home, the work process remains consistent.
Each house begins with an assessment team contacting the homeowners and completing a walkthrough of the premises, locating potential risks and estimating the duration for each work order. After the assessment is completed, the homeowner is scheduled for the following day to have work done to mitigate the mold damage and gut the basement.
The work crew starts by completing another
pre-work assessment to ensure nothing was missed during the initial assessment
and establish a good relationship with the flood victim. Afterward, lights are run
into the basement and all personal protective equipment is applied. This
typically consists of Tyvek suits, hard hats, p100 respirators, goggles,
nitrile gloves and muck boots. Needless to say, the Americorps workers are well
protected.
The physical work requires the removal of all damaged drywall, lathe and plaster, wood paneling and any furniture or personal belongings that have been affected by the flood. Once the house is stripped of all its damaged components, the crew decontaminates the site with a heavy duty sanitizer and seals off the compromised area for 24 hours.
Each house begins with an assessment team contacting the homeowners and completing a walkthrough of the premises, locating potential risks and estimating the duration for each work order. After the assessment is completed, the homeowner is scheduled for the following day to have work done to mitigate the mold damage and gut the basement.
The physical work requires the removal of all damaged drywall, lathe and plaster, wood paneling and any furniture or personal belongings that have been affected by the flood. Once the house is stripped of all its damaged components, the crew decontaminates the site with a heavy duty sanitizer and seals off the compromised area for 24 hours.
The local flavor
Although every work
order is a unique and exciting experience, not all homeowners convey the same
level of zazz. There have been a few notable experiences that the Washington
Conservation Corps members have learned a lot from.
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| Despite hard work and harsh conditions, WCC crews are always found wearing great smiles under their gear. |
Monica greeted us with open arms, immediately inviting us into her home. It wasn't long before we received our first lesson on twerking and an invitation to the best soul food barbecue in town. To express our appreciation, we gifted her with a non-permanent salmon tattoo. We left that evening with our first nicknames, the best of which was “Supa-Viza Rob,” and a memory of Monica, that, unlike our salmon tattoo, will never fade.
Out and about
Despite our mission assignment, we have been required to take one day
off per week. These days have allowed us a little time to experience what
Motown is like. Our days off have consisted of some exciting mini adventures.
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| On their required one day off each week, the crew explored Detroit; discovering the wonders of Motown, Heidelberg Street, the Detroit Pistons, and much more. |
These trips allow us some sweet relief from base camp and are a true
necessity for upkeep of crew morale. Detroit has been a unique and astounding
experience that has inspired many thought provoking conversations regarding
cultural diversity and demographic inequalities. It has arguably been one of
the most influential experiences of our lives.
...
The WCC crew, consisting of crew lead Rob Crawford, and members Landon Shaffer, Ashley Matelski, Rachel Nyenhuis, Jackson Owens and James van der Voort, worked with other Americorps crews to gut 354 homes by the end of their last day in Detroit.
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