Naomi,
I am sitting at home thinking about the last 3 days and I am brought to tears (for about the 5th time today) at the love that has been shown by you and your friends… by coming here and by letting us know that there are people that DO care and realize that we are human and not just a “bunch of dumb hillbillies” and for that, I thank you.
… I will tell you that the only items left in the center at @ 6:00 tonight were a few cans of tomato juice. I had so many people ask me to tell you “THANK YOU” that this helps them so very much. This one young lady came in at the end of the day and we had a half of box of cosmetics left that I actually was getting ready to throw out because it was all broken, and she came in and starting going through the box and I watched her eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning…I told her just to take the box home with her and she kept saying are you sure you don’t mind, I can really have this? I assured her it was fine so she left with some food, a little make-up and a HUGE SMILE….I had another cry…
All of our love,
Everett & Susie
The writer, Susie Duncan, was our contact in McRoberts, Kentucky where a group of 38 volunteers representing Congregation Shaarei Shomayim in Lancaster, PA, Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, NJ and others from New York, Ohio and California, just completed a 3 day humanitarian trip to this isolated small town in southeast Kentucky. Despite the community’s poverty, isolation, and ongoing drug problems the residents of McRoberts are proud and hospitable people. We were served home made lunches, replete with an abundance of home-grown veggies, homemade cookies and cakes, and packages of peanut butter fudge for everyone of us for our journey home!
For the Good People Fund this was our 4th interaction with McRoberts and most definitely the largest, most complicated endeavor yet. In two and a half days of labor in the heat and humidity (and an occasional torrential downpour) our group:
Provided and offloaded a 53′ trailer filled with donated food;
Delivered school supplies, 5 boxes of shoes, books for the elementary school, musical instruments, paint, sox, new underwear;
Ran a 2 day after-school camp featuring lollipop making, story-telling and other fun activities;
Delivered and completed construction of a large bookcase and a sand table-water table which would allow the school’s pre-school program to receive state certification; and
Rehabbed five residents’ homes including painting, replacement of original windows and doors with energy efficient models to cut down on utility costs, constructed a new deck and more.
Despite the logistical challenges, poor cell reception and limited dining options all participants, from the most hard-working teens to our 70 year old, agreed that nothing could compare to the satisfaction everyone felt as we wrapped up our work and headed out.
