Looking back on our time in Louisiana after the flood, I can honestly say it was an incredible experience getting to know the people. Whether it was the volunteers who sacrificed their time to come help or the families whose lives had been turned upside down by the flooding.

Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what many of the locals were going through. One lady, in particular, has stayed on my mind. She was elderly, on oxygen, and had recently undergone surgery, making it difficult for her to get around. While talking with one of our team members, she shared that she was terrified of the condition of the flooring in her home. She was afraid she would fall through it, break her leg, and she said that if that happened, she’d rather die than go through another recovery process.

Our organization, doesn’t normally do rebuilding on stateside disaster responses. But after hearing her story, one of our guys reached out to another organization working in the area to see if they could help. They agreed to provide the materials.

When we arrived at her home to unload the flooring, A look of relief flooded over her face. As I told her that we had the flooring and that one of our team teams would be coming later to install it, she couldn’t stop thanking us. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I feel like I can go on again.”

Our response in Louisiana was shorter than many of our deployments, but during that time we were able to complete around 30 jobs, helping families take the first steps toward recovery. Disaster response isn’t just about cleaning out homes—it’s about showing people that they aren’t alone, and that others care enough to stand beside them in their time of need.

Field Director, Louisiana Flood Response