August 15, 2004

My '92 Isuzu Pick-Up

Back in 1992 I was working with a friend who started a property maintenance business. He had a good connection with a commerical park here that has dozens of separate buildings. We basically did anything and everything, from painting to landscaping to prepapring spaces for leasing. My buddy Sergio, had just bought a 1992 Isuzu pick-up specifically for the business.

Then Andrew came and South Florida was changed forever. It was anarchy in the streets the first few days post-hurricane. No power, no running water, debris everywhere. A curfew. The August heat and humidity. They were hard days.

I was living In Coral Gables at the time and the hurricane did not do much damage in my neighborhood. My buddy's house, and our parents' homes were in relatively good shape. A few shingles and roof tiles missing, a couple of downed tress. Not much damage at all. We were able to get things straightened out at our homes and our families' homes in a day.

Three days after Andrew Segio calls me and asks if I want to go down to Homestead and see if we could help out. Homestead, as you know, had basically been razed.

We loaded the truck with supplies: water, roofing material donated by a hardware store, tools, flashlights, can goods and headed south. We'd been watching the news and devastation on portable TV's the past day and figured we and the new truck could be useful. We weren't the only ones.

On the way there, on the hghway, it felt as if we were going to some kind of trucking convention. There were literally hundreds of trucks of all sizes and vans and buses heading in the same direction. Heading to help the people affected by Andrew.

It was a solemn trip. We were completely amazed by the destruction. On the highway where we were once not able to see for the lush landscaping and huge trees, we were then able to see for miles. It felt as if God's hand had come down to the earth and swatted everything away. No television images can convey the actual destruction you see when you are in it. It's eerily calm and quiet with all that chaos scattered about.

We ventured into Homestead and got lost. There were no street signs or traffic lights. No discernible landmarks. It was just one bif pile of deleterious material. After a few hours we found some homes were no one had been to. They were the shacks where the farmworkers lived. They had nothing. No water, no food, no shelter. They had been living under trees with a canvas attached to them. We gave them everything we had and promised those folks we would come back with more the next day.

We were never able to find their place again.

On the fourth day after Andrew we headed out early. We had heard about donations from across the country being flown in to Tamiami Airport - an small airport down south - and decided to go there and see what we could do.

After about an hour trying to find it, we came across a line of trucks and vans waiting to enter someplace. It was a small entrance cut into debris and fallen trees. It was the airport we were looking for.

We stood waiting in line for what seemed like hours, C130 military planes were landing and dropping the back flap and handing out tons of supplies - supplies donated by people across the country - to every truck, van and bus in line to take to the affected people of Homestead. It was impressive.

The whole thing was very orderly, few words were spoken. Everyone was working together as if choreographed. People of all backgrounds, race and status were there busting their humps for a common cause. To this day, I get goosebumps when I remember that scene. It was the human race at its absolute best. Here we were in a small Isuzu pickup in the sweltering August heat among people doing their all to help people. I will never forget that moment.

After we loaded up the truck we headed out to find the farmworkers we had helped the day before. We drove through, around and over debris scattered on the roads. We had to get out and move trees and construction materials at times just to be able to keep going.

After two hours of driving through the mazes that used to be neighborhoods, we saw a building relatively undamaged off in the distance and decided to head there to see if we could help anyone there with our youth and our supplies. I had never been in the area where we were. It was deep south, deep in a rural, out of the way area.

As we got closer to the building - it took us about 20 minutes to travel 100 feet - I saw a small figure coming out of the building and start to head towards us. I dropped the branches that I was clearing from the road and scrambled towards the person.

It was an old woman, probably in her eighties. She was frail and could barely amble through alll the debris. She was crying, raising her hands up over he head, towards the sky and then bring them back donw together. She was thanking God. The second I came up to her she threw her arms around my waist and started sobbing. She squeezed me and held on tight as she let out these long, loud, uncontrollabe sobs. Her knees gave out on her and I had to hold her up. I started to cry.

I held this woman, this old, frail perfect stranger in my arms for some time. We cried together, I consoled her. Told her everything would be alright as I ran my fingers through her thin, grey hair. She would look at me amid sobs and then dig her head back into my stomach and squeeze me tighter. She had the deepest blue eyes I have ever seen.

As we stood there holding each other, more people began to come out of the building. They were all old. They all look a little frazzled, dazed. Some of them stood out side applauding and yelling.

My buddy and I, amid all the devastation and destruction, amid the debris and utter chaos after hurricane Andrew, had come upon a small retirement home. An out of the way home for seniors. A home that no one had been to since the storm. We were the first ones to get there. The first help these folks had gotten after their world had been turned upside down.

Me, my buddy Sergio and the '92 Isuzu Pickup that now sits in my driveway. I will never sell that truck.

Folks, the people of Charlotte and Lee counties in Florida have been hit with a major hurricane and their lives now are in shambles. They need our help. If there is a local charity or church or organization having a drive for the people affected by Charley, please give 'til it hurts. It will be a good pain.

They will need the following:

- Water - the most important item on this list.
- Canned goods - not just veggies but Spam and Chef Boyardee and the like
- Can openers
- Baby food and formula.
- Diapers and baby whipes
- Charcoal and lighter fluid
- Blankets
- Insect repellant - almost as important as water.
- Tarps
- Flashlights and batteries
- Portable radios
- Soaps and other hygeine items
- Sterno cans
- Paper plates and cups

I'm sure there will be 2 other young guys and an Isuzu pickup over there ready to load up whatever you send them and take it to those in need.

The Command Post is ready to help with Strengthen the Good. And the Red Cross is already there.

Posted by Val Prieto at August 15, 2004 10:03 AM



Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.babalublog.com/cgi-bin/mt/hut.cgi/927

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference My '92 Isuzu Pick-Up:

» When the Going Gets Tough from Sgt Hook - This We'll Defend
When the Going Gets Tough A great idea up over at the Command Post to help those devastated by Charley and eventually to highlight similar needs as they arise. I'm in. Let's help to Strengthen the Good wherever we can. Thanks Val. Sgt Hook out. [Read More]

Tracked on August 15, 2004 11:17 AM

» Another Pleasant Valley Sunday from Twisted Spinster
Hi, kids! Yesterday night the power went out again, and then for the next hour or so there was this annoying game of "I'm on! Oops -- no, I'm off again! Nope -- I'll just go on for a second here and then just go off again! Maybe I can kill one of y... [Read More]

Tracked on August 15, 2004 01:51 PM

» Help The Victims Of Hurricane Charley from DebWire
If you would like to help the victims of Hurricane Charley, this source provides some good guidance for legitimate sources and the best methods: In response to the outpouring of support for victims of Hurricane Charley, Volunteer Florida, the Govern... [Read More]

Tracked on August 15, 2004 04:34 PM

» Regional: Just a reminder. from
The people of the United States have always opened their hearts and pockets to assist Caribbean nations in their times of need after the devastation wrought by Hurricanes. Americans have long been here for us in our myriad times of need. They have s... [Read More]

Tracked on August 17, 2004 04:52 PM

» Read This from Tammi's World
Val at Babalu Blog has this post up remembering Andrew and a moving story oh how desperately help is needed. At the bottom of the post he lists items that will be needed. Important Note: At this time, they are... [Read More]

Tracked on November 1, 2005 11:35 PM

Comments

A great story and an Outstanding idea. I'm in.

Posted by: Sgt Hook at August 15, 2004 11:12 AM

Thank you Val

Madtom

Posted by: tom at August 15, 2004 01:10 PM

I sit here crying, knowing that a story similar to that is being replayed today in several areas of this state. Thanks so much for sharing that.

Posted by: Tammi at August 15, 2004 01:30 PM

Machete:

We're there, man. Thanks for the links.

Your blog should come with a Kleenex warning, Val. No joke. That is a compliment. I still don't know why you don't have a major newspaper column.

The crying here -- and, man, I'm still crying rolling tears after inserting this dependent clause ten minutes after beginning this comment -- is the best kind of cleansing.

Nature did this, not humans, but we still see the best within us. It is a high price to pay -- one life, fifteen, thirty -- so let us see it, then, okay! who we are, Americans, caring for strangers thousands of miles away, beyond all the bickering and partisan horse manure -- we step up, we push back our gimme hats, our knit caps, our kippahs, our straw hats, our Stetsons, and say "Hand me the chain saw " -- "Gimme the keys to the bobcat" -- "How much beef do we have stored in the deep freeze for these folks?" -- and "How many board feet of plywood you need on credit, Clyde, no problem?" My family's been here before this country was named, over 350 years, and I grow prouder of it every day I breathe.

My wife Catherine King remarked to me how this response to Charley reminded her of how soon Americans were down at Ground Zero with their sleeves rolled up, with shovels, with open eager hands ready to sort out and rebuild, with the volunteer trucks balling in from Jersey like an endless train of what do you need, what do you need, oh, America, let me staunch your wound, because it is mine!

I am so proud to be an American. I salute all of you who I cannot now cover with a blanket. I am so sorry for your losses.

And Val and Maggie and all your loved ones, we're so glad your safe.

Sincerely,

Jerome du Bois
Catherine King

Posted by: Jerome du Bois at August 15, 2004 06:59 PM

Val,

I sent this entry to a friend/coworker who moved to Minnesota from Florida. He was in Andrew, and remembers the devastation. He says you described it perfectly, and he also teared up when reading your story.

Thanks for posting it.

Posted by: Keith at August 17, 2004 12:53 PM

I've thought about Hurricane Hugo nearly every day for ten years after the Hurricane destroyed our island.

We who have been through it still delineate our lives in terms of before and after the hurricane.

Thanks for reminding me of how very tough life can be in the aftermath of such a storm.

And especially - Thanks for the tears that reminded me of how very kind humans can be when everything they've achieved is wiped away in a few dark hours.

"Please give 'til it hurts. It will be a good pain."

Truer words are as hard to come by as ice after a such a storm...

Posted by: Rtfm at August 17, 2004 05:26 PM

First time I've visited your blog--and I am very impressed with your heart and compassion. Thank you for uplifting my heart with thoughts of americans pulling together in tough times.

Posted by: Jen at August 19, 2004 10:41 AM