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Thanks to all of the people who helped us during the flood.
Without their help, I don't know what we would have done. They
made a horrible time manageable. Thank you.
- Sadie and Mike
- Our next-door neighbors. They both helped sandbag and
Mike provided a bunch of lumber for barriers. Although
the water never came up again on Thursday like it was
predicted, they still helped us prepare for the worst.
Thank you.
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- Jim and Barbara Ciaramitaro
- Our surrogate parents. They helped clean up sandbags and
lumber and generally kept us moving on Saturday - all on
short notice. Thank you.
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- United Way
- They provided information and coordinated volunteers for
sandbag removal.
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- Salem Boys Club
- Two strong guys who are on staff (I don't remember their
names) hauled away sandbags and helped save the backs of
the entire neighborhood. Thank you!
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- Mike and Meredith Gilbert
- Mike is Kim's soon-to-be-partner. A huge thank-you for
giving us a place to stay for five days. Not only did
they shelter and feed us, they listened to us, kept our
minds and spirits from dwelling on misfortune, lent us
their car, took a call night for Kim when she was utterly
exhausted, and generally bent over backwards to make us
comfortable. These people epitomize Christian charity.
Thank you very, very much.
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- Shawn and Annette (??)
- They live two blocks away from and didn't know us from
Adam. On Wednesday night they saw us sandbagging and
stopped to help. They kept working all night long, not
just on our house, but other houses, too. Thank you!
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- Ed and Molly Chubb
- Our neighbors across the street. Ed helped sandbag on
Wednesday and Thursday. Molly provided a listening ear
during the days after the flood when everyone was still
in a daze. And both of them kept an eye on our house (as
they have many times before) after we had to evacuate.
Thank you.
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- George and Bonnie Martin
- Our next-door neighbors. George and a friend of his
probably helped save our house early Thursday morning
when they put down a row of bags of gravel along the
sidewalk. They also helped me push my car upstream to a
safer place. During the days after the flood, George
provided a listening ear and even gave me some free
advice (he is a contractor) about the damage to the
house. Thank you.
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- Al and Kelly Canales
- Our neighbors across the street. Al helped clean up
sandbags. Both of them provided listening ears during the
days after the flood. Thank you.
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- Larry and Judy (??)
- Our neighbors across the street. Larry (and his son) may
have largely helped mitigate the flooding by going all
over the neighborhood and keeping storm drains open.
Thanks!
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- Jim and Laurel Lace
- Jim is Kim's soon-to-be-partner. A big thank-you for the
loan of Whitey Boy (a 1965 Dodge 200 with a flatbed).
Whitey Boy saved our bacon. He got us around through
incredibly high water without stalling. He hauled sand,
lumber, and people where they needed to go. Thank you!
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- Alan DeWitt
- Alan goes way back with us. Alan came down from Tigard on
Saturday (2/17) to help (as he has helped us many times
before) clean up the mess in the basement. He hauled
trash, carpet, you name it, and got completely filthy in
the process without any complaints. He figured out how to
get the filthy couch that came with the house out of the
basement when we figure out that it wouldn't go through
the doorway - he literally tore the couch apart! Thank
you!
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- Doug Beaton
- Doug is a friend of ours from church. He provided his
back and pickup (three loads to the dump) for the
Saturday (2/17) basement clean up. Thank you.
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- Byron Kephart
- Byron goes all the way back to eighth grade with me. He
came up from Albany on Saturday (2/17) and lent his back
to the basement clean up effort. Thank you.
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- The Home Depot
- The Salem store provided free sand throughout the flood.
Thank you!
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- The City of Salem
- The City provided free sand, sandbags, and security to
prevent a mob at the city shops on Wednesday night.
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- The employees of FEMA and SBA
- Everyone I talked to from these two government agencies
was friendly, helpful, and sympathetic. These folks
(especially FEMA) worked ridiculously long hours to help
folks like us. People like this will help break the
stereotype of the government bureaucrat. Thank you!
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- Rainbow Construction
- Mark Hildebrandt (the owner) jumped on the problem right
away. He and his three-man crew got the house shored up
and safe in under three hours. Thank you!
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- Steve Hoskins Construction
- While we didn't let the job to Steve, he gave us prompt
attention and a competing bid. Thank you.
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- The parishioners and staff of St. Paul's
Episcopal Parish
- These people may be the most important of all, because
they kept praying for us all through the flood. Thank you
very much!
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- You, the U.S. taxpayer
- Thanks to all of you for providing the funds for FEMA and
SBA to help us. You made a financial disaster manageable.
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- Our newspaper carriers
- I don't know their names, but they did the same thing
that Shawn and Annette did. They saw us sandbagging and
jumped in to help without batting an eye. On top of all
that, they still left us a dry newspaper on Thursday
morning, just like they have every morning. Thank you.
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- The people who gave us their extra sandbags at
The Home Depot on Wednesday afternoon
- I don't know who they are, but thank them. I couldn't
find sandbags anywhere, but these people gave me their
extras.
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- The anonymous people at the city shops who helped
us fill sandbags on Wednesday night
- Thank you, whoever you are.
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- The family who helped us (and many others) fill
sandbags on Thursday afternoon at The Home Depot
- This family's home wasn't in any danger, so they all just
drove down to The Home Depot to help fill sandbags. Thank
you!
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- An anonymous kid down the street
- I have no idea who he is, but he can't be more than about
eight years old. That didn't stop him from helping me put
several sandbags around the house. Thanks!
Page created
2/20/96.
Last updated 03/17/03 at 14:35.
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