History of Irene ministry - St. Paul's Episcopal Church <font size="3"> <i> Building a house where Love can grow

What may be the worst flooding since 1927 turned communities across Vermont on Sunday August 28, 2011 into islands, as high, fast-moving waters swamped roads and shredded some of the state's iconic covered bridges.   In some areas, homes knocked off their foundations by Tropical Storm Irene's wrath floated in lake and rivers.    The flooding was so pervasive that officials had no clear idea Sunday night of the potential number of casualties, not to mention the full extent and cost of the damage.

In the Upper Valley, the areas of Quechee, White River Junction and West Hartford were hardest hit.   It happened so fast that families had very little time to vacate their homes, and then returned to find that their homes were flooded with mud several feet deep, some homes knocked off their foundations, vehicles lost to rushing waters and no idea how they were going to begin to put their homes and lives back together.    Many “good people” throughout the Upper Valley and beyond responded immediately and over the next several weeks to help with the cleanup and to support the victims of the flooding.

The St. Paul’s family was responding in many ways from providing meals, water and ice to families to being a regular friendly face that many of the families impacted by the flooding began to look to for support.    It started with a group of parishioners getting together to cook food for flooded out victims in Bennington.   One person's car was loaded with casseroles that she transported to Manchester, Vermont for another person to pick up to take to Bennington.   Vermont’s Freeway Relay began with this modest but important support of the people of Bennington.   By the weekend the church was helping to provide food for the families in the Hartford area and beyond the Upper Valley.   St. Paul’s became a center for the making of brown bag lunches for volunteers helping the families as well as the families themselves.   It is estimated that about eight thousand lunches and meals have been provided since Irene.

This effort struck a cord with many people outside the St. Paul’s family involving other churches, schools, children and families who came forth to provide food for the victims of the flooding.   It included people who baked, cooked, transported, prayed, sought donations, delivered meals, connected families to agencies, and provided a hug when needed.   The people who volunteered to deliver the meals became a friendly face to the victims of the flooding and many times were a major source of comfort and support for these people devastated by the flood.

A Leadership Team was developed to help coordinate the effort.   It has had a changing group of people but has involved St. Paul’s parishioners as well as other community members.   The Team has met with the social service agencies from the Upper Valley and is now actively working with them to help identify the continuing and unmet needs of the victims of the flooding from Hurricane Irene.   These agencies have asked the St. Paul’s Irene Ministry to assist with gathering of this information because of the relationships that have been developed and fostered through the delivering of the meals to families.

Currently (January 2012) meals are being delivered one day a week with some of the families already deciding that they do not need our support with food any more.    It is going to be a long process for many of these families before they get back to some sense of normalcy in their lives.    It is comforting for them to know that St. Paul’s many volunteers are still supporting them.

The focus of the Irene Ministry will change in the upcoming months as it has changed many times since that day in August when the rains came.

Thank you to everyone for all that you have done to support our neighbors.

(from St. Paul's 2011 Annual Reports)