Teens' hard work brings hope to hurricane victims
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

LENDING A HELPING HAND- From left are Adrian Cunningham, Haley Pearson, John Menges, Steve Rainer, Jack Hoskinson, Luke Suzumoto, Karen Soltow, Cory Donavon and Terry Gehr.

Almost two years ago Hurricane Katrina ripped through Slidell, La., and destroyed the town. Sustained winds reached 176 mph with gusts that exceeded 190 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Another strong force- but a welcome one- recently descended on the town. During their spring break a group of 33 teenagers and 14 adults from United Methodist churches in Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village saw the destruction firsthand.

The youth relief effort found the area how they'd imagined it would have looked immediately after the devastating storm. The survivors who stayed in Slidell live in desperate conditions and are still in shock.

"We realized the people there don't have anything- no money, anything. They are weak and stressed out because of the storm," recalled Brent Stalley, 16.

He and the other teenagers went to work doing heavy labor. They did yardwork, put up dry wall, painted and picked up debris. One day the group helped install a playground at a Boys & Girls Club.

"The kids made a big difference. They did about $60,000 worth of construction work," said Vic Stalley, Brent's dad.

It cost each volunteer $250 to go to Louisiana. The entire trip cost about $39,000, with most othe funds raised through donations"It was a reality slap. Thwaves of water changed lives, and we saw a lot of destruction," said Brian Long, director of youth ministries for the United Methodist Church of Westlake Village.

He said he saw the youth step out of their comfort zones- out othe Southern California affluenlifestyle bubble- to meet peoplwho called home 80 square feet oliving space in a FEMA trailer.

One of the survivors told them someone gathered up for her althe possessions that remained from her pre-hurricane home: Thitems filled only two boxes. "Cherish today. You might nohave tomorrow," Long recalled the survivor telling the teens.

While they listened to her story and those of other victims, the teensaw debris stacked as high as thestood. They helped repair somhurricane-damaged structures and knocked down others that could nobe saved. Together, with their hard work and dedication, they broughhope and enthusiasm to the stormravaged area, recalled youth pastoAble Jones of United MethodisChurch of Thousand Oaks.

"In yards there were lawn mowers, dolls, old soaked clothes, pictures and other personal belongings that looked like just trash, but were once important things in people's lives," Jones said.

On April 12, Brent wrote in his diary:

"As my feet hit the ground in the 9th Ward, my hands shook, while my eyes began to water. I saw there were doorsteps leading up to nothing. The foundations were there but no houses.

"This used to be a neighborhood where children played and people sang and gathered. It was empty, but I did not feel alone as I stood where someone used to eat dinner or people used to drive their cars. When I looked behind me I could see debris piled up in houses, boats smashed into garages. This neighborhood sat underwater for almost a month.

"I could only imagine what these people went through, but the tears that rolled down my face couldn't bring back the lives that were lost . . ."

The devastation hit home for all the teenagers who went to that area, Jones said.

"They realized it could be their neighborhood that had been under water for a month," Jones said.

The Thousand Oaks teens come from a place with low crime and perfect weather- mountains, beaches, sand and surf. Expensive cars fill the streets. Beautifully landscaped homes worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars fill the community. No one was prepared for what they would encounter in Slidell.

"The crime, the poverty- it was like America hit a wall. It still looks like it happened yesterday," Brent said.

The youth flew to Louisiana and used a rented school bus and driver to get around, Brent said. They spent the night in sleeping bags on the carpet of a gymlike room inside a church. Cots were provided, but they found the floor to be more comfortable, he said.

It was cold cereal for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly for lunch and a more substantial hot meal for dinner. Half of the group got sick with nausea and diarrhea from some unknown cause, possibly food poisoning, Long said.

One of the girls got fiberglass in her eye while helping to tear down a structure. Although she needed medical treatment, she's okay, Long said.

One man who survived the storm told the teenagers what it was like to be on top of his roof watching death float by as he waited for help. He told them he's never seen some of his friends and neighbors since the hurricane, Jones said.

Vic Stalley recalled the impact the entire experience had on Brent.

"My son was quiet when he came home from the trip. It made a meaningful impact on him to see life at base level. I'm glad he went through that," Brent's dad said. "We should be really proud- our kids made a big difference."

"The group brought hope to the people. In return, they saw that God is there- even in a tragedy, God is there," Jones said. "They brought hope, and they saw what hope does. They saw good people coming together to help each other and how good can come out of bad."