High Street UMC members help clean up in Waverly
Published 10:20 am Wednesday, October 12, 2016
- A big thumbs-up for the work done in Waverly. Pictured (in no particular order): Mike Wrenn, Beth Luck, Joe Edenfield, Carrie, Mark, Allie and Christine Frolich, Anne Hager and Mike Ponder. — Submitted | Bill Billings
by Mike Ponder
FRANKLIN
Where were you on Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m.? Most likely none of us remembers until we are reminded that there were actually six tornadoes that touched down in Virginia that afternoon. These tornadoes took the lives of five Virginians, three of whom had lived in a trailer in Waverly. The storms also caused millions of dollars in damage in Waverly, Tappahannock and Appomattox.
Eighteen members of High Street United Methodist Church reminded each other about that day on Sept. 17, when they gathered at the church and proceeded to a work day to help the people in Waverly continue the massive cleanup and make some repairs on some of the damaged homes.
The team was led by Scott Flanders and consisted of 18 members ranging in age from 10 to 81. Members contributed over 110 hours of service and were divided into four teams. The largest team removed tons of debris from a demolished home on Main Street. Other teams repaired floors, replaced sheetrock, repaired steps on outside decking and replaced tarps protecting the roofs of damaged homes.
The mission team from High Street UMC worked under the guidance of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, an organization that assists families who are uninsured or underinsured to rebuild after natural disasters. FEMA has decided that those affected by the tornadoes of Waverly, Appomattox and Tappahannock will not qualify for federal funds to rebuild, so all rebuilding and repairs of structures of the uninsured and underinsured will have to come through volunteers and donations.
If you or your group would like to explore the volunteer opportunities in Waverly, call Pastor Nathan Decker at High Street United Methodist Church at 562-3367. He will help you proceed as there is still much work to be done.
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- Nathan Decker, left, and Scott Flanders on the roof of a building in Waverly.
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- Nathan Decker, pastor at High Street UMC, was among the mission team members who went to Waverly in mid-September.
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- Mike Ponder was also among those on the mission team.
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- Before they left for Waverly, these mission members took a picture at High Street UMC: Bill Billings, Jim Jervey, Joe Edenfield, Mark, Carrie, Tyler, Allison and Tyler Frolich, Nathan Decker, Greg Crom, Terry Godwin, Bob and Beth Luck, Scott Flanders, Mike Wrenn, Mike Ponder, Anne Hager and Tyler Sommer. Not pictured is Ruth Baker.
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- Carrie, Allison and Christine Frolich of a mission team from High Street United Methodist Church help pick up rubble from where a home was demolished by a tornado on Feb. 24 in Waverly.
