Thanks to
all others who took pictures of the flood destruction. These
photos help show the true tragedy many people are facing in
their lives and hopefully ignite the donations of time and
money to help rebuild.
Comments from
Rushford Victims
Almost 2 weeks
after the flood, it is hard to get into Rushford so, since
I am from Houston, I can only tell what I have heard. My closest
experience is meeting some of the ladies who play in the golf
league for a "break" from the disaster. I'm not
sure what type of break it was as my heart broke while I listened.
Houston and
Rushford are only 11 miles apart. We have shared many things
in the past even though we have had almost a century of competition
in athletics. The biggest kinship we have is the Root River
Valley. Many times the water has risen and fallen and each
time, we share the concern of what might happen. But the flood
of 2007 was not the Root River. Instead the many creeks that
placidly meander through the bluffs and valleys of Bluff Country
became the culprit destroying whatever it wanted after the
hammering rains.
At the golf
course, even through the horrendous frustration of what lies
ahead, I heard the positives of the unselfishness of people
during a crisis like this. HOPE still exists in this small
community in the middle of the southeastern Minnesota disaster
and that is certainly refreshing. But, if you can help, please
search this website for more information.
Feeding
Flood Victims, Volunteers, and Many Others
In the early hours of Sunday, August 19 Rushford residents
seeking
higher ground and safety from the flood waters came to Montini
Hall an
extension of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. As daylight came
and the day progressed people became hungry and food was found,
prepared and served to those at the hall. This was the beginning
of a great effort to provide hot meals for the victims of
the flood and those who came to
their aid. In the first days after the flood, as many as 3500
people
were served hot meals three times a day by countless volunteers
who just showed up. The number of meals being served stayed
above 2000 for that first week and into the second week after
August 19. Into the third week, the number of meals served
continue to number around 1500. Even now, almost 6 weeks later,
more than 500 people a day are coming to Montini to find hot
food, drink, and fellowship. In the early days after the flood,
meals were served from 6 am to midnight and beyond. This effort
continues to this day and will continue through the first
week of October from 6 to 6. There was a great need for this
sustenance with no restaurant and no grocery store open in
Rushford and so many people without cars to get to a neighboring
town to buy supplies, and the need continues only at a lesser
level. As of September 28, Subway is open and Stumpy's is
serving pizza, but there still is no Rushford Foods. And even
if there were a grocery store open, many people still are
not back into their homes to cook meals. Volunteers and volunteer
groups from many neighboring communities continue to come
to Montini to serve their fellow Minnesotans in need. Food
is being donated in large quantities and small by individuals
and corporations. The need and the charity continues as I
write this. The recovery is slow, but it is coming. Montini
Hall will likely not be serving daily hot meals, but it will
be open as volunteers and food is available.
