Seven months after Hurricane Ike hit Texas hard early last fall, the misery in small towns along the Gulf coast remains, Bill Taylor told Rotary Club of Aiken members earlier this week.
Some 16,000 people continue to live in temporary shelters, and thousands more were driven from their homes and are living elsewhere, said Taylor, vice chairman of the Aiken chapter of the American Red Cross.
He and his wife, Donna, saw the damage close-up last year when they drove to Texas the large emergency mobile shower unit that Taylor created. Hundreds of hurricane victims, emergency workers and volunteers got the chance to take much-needed showers as a result.
The couple found horrific damage in such communities as Orange, Bridge City, Galveston Bay, and Bacliff. The fishing village of San Leon was devastated by a 13-foot storm surge. But because the hurricane missed metropolitan areas like Houston, Ike didn't get the national attention that Hurricane Katrina received in 2005.
"This is largely a forgotten area," said Taylor. But he praised the efforts of Aiken volunteers and others. The national Red Cross provided 21,000 volunteers and 900 shelters, serving more than 14 million meals and snacks.
Taylor urged Rotarians and other Aiken County residents to get involved with the Red Cross through donations and volunteer efforts.
"The mission of the staff," he said, "is to help rebuild lives and hope."
The Rotary Club also heard from two students of the month, seniors Michelle Alimpich of Aiken High and Emily Shaw of South Aiken High.
Since moving to Aiken as a high school freshman, said Shaw, she has never felt excluded from any organization. There's something about the community that reaches out and touches people, she said. Shaw attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp at Erskine College last summer and is looking forward to returning this summer. Shortly before she spoke at the Rotary meeting, the club got its weekly news update from member Bill Tucker, who not surprisingly offered the latest glum economic picture.
"Each of you is so enthusiastic about serving others," Shaw said. "That makes me feel optimistic, despite the bad news from Mr. Tucker."
Alimpich, too, was impressed by the club's emphasis on promoting integrity and service above self. She heard earlier speakers talk about Operation Mail Call for families with relatives in Iraq and also about services for the hearing and visually impaired. Alimpich's own goal is to become a medical missionary. "Thanks for all the help you give to this community," she said.
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
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