Posted August 19, 2016 in Featured News

WV mud 1The Follansbee (WV) Presbyterian Church’s youth group recently spent some time cleaning up the mud (called mucking) and debris that was left behind following the devastating flooding that occurred in their area of West Virginia recently. As Pastor Frank Haas put it, “Follansbee Presbyterian Church has the dirtiest youth group in the presbytery.”

The following is a recap from Pastor Haas following the youth group’s work:

“We have been so busy. The Follansbee Presbyterian Church’s response has been appreciated by the community. Stuff happens fast.

“Last Sunday, we invited the Methodists to worship with us. Rev. Calmbacher took part. This Sunday they will do the same. Their church still has no utilities, except perhaps water by now.

“We have worked hard, and we have had a bunch of help at Follansbee Presbyterian. We appreciate the encouragement and prayers. Other churches have helped, and businesses and individuals, too. The Emergency Management Authority has given us some supplies. We have served perhaps 2,000 meals (no time to count) to flood victims and volunteers and helped them any way we can. We have tried to focus on this kind of care and feeding.

“Many others inWV mud 2 town have done volunteer work assignments, dispensing emergency supplies and grants, clothing (including back-to-school), construction, home food replenishment and attending to social work and community fundraising needs. Sure, we will have increased expenses. We have had to keep the air conditioning at full blast in this humid August weather, and we needed a service call for it. We have had more toilets flushed, more hands washed, more opening of the fridge and freezer, more aluminum foil and the like, more trash can liners, and the endless, unsurprising little things like that.

“We need carpets in the Sunday School rooms in the basement, paint for the basement walls as a precaution, and various things from our own damage, which, relatively speaking, was small, thank God. We have added and re-directed downspouts to try to cope better with future storms, and we will need to look at our sewer lines to see whether they are clogged or if we can prevent back up from there.”

Read a story on the situation in Follansbee and how the churches in the area have pulled together by clicking here.