Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 2017)
3B THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 On Thanksgiving, family hurt by Harvey counts its blessings By NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press H OUSTON — The kitchen where George and Arva Dorsey prepare an 18-dish feast every Thanksgiving has been stripped of everything but its granite countertops, stand- ing on their own with no appli- ances below. The house they renovated and expanded over three decades has been gutted down to its wooden beams. Almost three months after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, kill- ing more than 80 people and damaging at least 200,000 homes, the Dorseys and other families are celebrating Thanksgiving however they can. “We try to keep our head up, and we know that God is above all,” said Arva Dorsey, sitting next to her husband in the din- ing room where they would have served Thanksgiving din- ner. “So many of the blessings have come through this disas- ter. We’re just grateful.” George Dorsey said one possibility was the family — including some members from out of town — could spend Thursday with a friend. Or they might go to a local buf- fet-style restaurant for turkey and trimmings. Some people are gather- ing at churches that have held large meals for people dis- placed by the storm and vol- unteers spending the holiday away from their families to help rebuild. Others will go to annual events like Hous- ton’s “Super Feast,” where volunteers this year will hand out clothes and supplies along with turkey and stuffing. Furniture store owner Jim McIngvale — a Houston icon known as “Mattress Mack” — is opening one of his Gallery Furniture locations for a feast that starts at 10 a.m. Thursday. In Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, there are plenty of signs of progress. Blocks that had piles of debris on every front lawn are being cleared. Work crews are in neighborhoods all over the city, and nonprofit groups have distributed hundreds of mil- lions in aid. AP Photos/David J. Phillip George Dorsey walks through his hurricane-damaged home in Houston earlier this month. He usually hosts a large Thanksgiving dinner for family but is making other arrangements this year as he continues to recover from Hurricane Harvey. “Just be hopeful, thankful, that you’re still here,” he said. LEFT: George Dorsey, center, hugs Samaritan’s Purse volunteers Nikki Moore, left, and Samantha Roundtree, who are help- ing rebuild his hurricane-damaged home in Houston. RIGHT: George and Arva Dorsey pose inside their hurricane-dam- aged home in Houston. The Dorsey’s home was damaged by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey earlier this year. ‘The main thing is, I’ve learned to calm down and wait patiently for what God has for me.’ George Dorsey But more than 47,000 peo- ple across Texas, including the Dorseys, are still staying in hotels with vouchers from the Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency. Others are stay- ing with family members or have left Southeast Texas alto- gether, abandoning mortgages on homes that were wrecked by floodwaters. Some people are still living in apartments infested with mold. The Dorseys were rescued from their home the second night of the storm by a National Guard truck, with Guardsmen pulling them out of floodwa- ters that had reached several feet and still rising. The Guard took them to a nearby Baptist church, where they slept for two nights on the floor until cots arrived. They spent a week at the church, where they celebrated their 35th anniversary with a dance as other evacuees toasted them holding paper cups filled with punch. Dozens of volunteers from churches all over the world Columbia Senior Diners — 1111 Exchange St., Astoria Se- nior Center. Volunteers needed weekdays to serve tables and for kitchen help. To volunteer, call 503-325-9693. information, contact any of the ac- tive personnel or call Chief Paul Olheiser at 503-458-6610. have since arrived in their neighborhood, many of them unprompted, to help rebuild. George Dorsey, 59, walked through his house last week as volunteers from the group Samaritan’s Purse worked inside and on the roof. The staccato sound of nail guns rang out as he talked. The air inside was dry, but dusty. Dorsey retired after 25 years working at an Exxon- Mobil plastics plant and now serves at a deacon at his church. With the booming voice of a preacher, Dorsey told long sto- ries about the history of each room and his four sons, rang- ing in age from 31 to 16. Arva Dorsey, 58, sat out- side with a few of her neigh- bors, smiling and joking wryly about how much her husband could talk. She had a walker in front of her. The first time she came back to the house, she slipped on a step where water had seeped in from the dry- wall. She tore the cartilage in her left knee and had surgery earlier this month. Among the things she’s thankful for are the volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse, not just for the labor they provided for free, but for offering to pray with her and asking about how her family was doing. “I didn’t even realize that I must have been depressed, or something was keeping me from doing what was keeping me from doing all the time,” she said. The Dorseys’ typical Thanksgiving feast includes turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, and several kinds of pies. But even if the kitchen had survived the storm, Arva Dorsey says it would have been too physically painful to spend three days preparing dinner as she normally does. George acknowledged that part of him wished they were back in their house already. But he knew that he needed to let the foundation of the home dry out and take his time replacing what he had lost. “The main thing is, I’ve learned to calm down and wait patiently for what God has for me,” he said. “Just be hopeful, thankful, that you’re still here. Life still goes on even when we’re going through the storm.” VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 4-H — Looking for 4-H leaders. For information, call Sandra Carl- son at the Oregon State University Extension at 503-325-8573. American Red Cross — Needs registration volunteers (donor ambassadors) in Clatsop County to provide customer ser- vice and enhance the blood donor experience. For information, call Angela Basurtto at 503-528-5430. Astoria Column — 1 Cox- comb Drive. Volunteers needed to welcome visitors, provide informa- tion and answer questions about the Astoria Column and the city of Astoria. For information, call the Friends of the Astoria Column Vis- itor Center at 503-325-2963. Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association — 111 W. Marine Drive. Needs conductors/motor- men to operate trolley and narrate points of interest. One or more three-hour shifts per month. For information, call the 503-325- 6311. Astoria Senior Center — 1111 Exchange St. To volunteer, call Larry Miller at 503-325-3231. Astoria Veteran Van Drivers — Volunteer drivers needed for the Disabled American Veterans van for one or more trips per month. The van leaves Astoria at 7 a.m. for the Portland Veterans Admin- istration Hospital and returns in the early afternoon. To volunteer, contact Dick Lang, Astoria DAV van coordinator, at 503-298-8757 or dicklang@charter.net. Drivers receive free breakfast and lunch vouchers for the hospital canteen on every trip. Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce — 111 W. Marine Drive. Volunteers needed at the chamber and for events. For information, call 503-325-6311. Camp Kiwanilong — A large variety of volunteer opportunities are available. For information, call 503-861-2933 or go to www.camp- kiwanilong.org Cannon Beach Academy — 3781 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach. Volunteers needed for breakfast or lunch preparation and cleanup, reading groups, math groups, lunch/recess duty and housekeeping. Shifts are 1.25 hours or longer. For information, call 503-298-5245. Caring Adults Develop- ing Youth (CADY) Mentoring Program — 800 Exchange St., second floor. Needs mentors for youths ages 10 to 17 at risk of school failure. Time commitment: one year, about eight hours per month. For information, contact Laura Parker at 503-325-8601 or lparker@co.clatsop.or.us Clatsop Animal Assistance Inc. — Needs volunteers who have a strong commitment to work on behalf of the Clatsop County An- imal Shelter’s dogs and cats. For information, email info@dogsn- cats.org or call 503-861-0737. Clatsop Care Center — Vol- unteers needed daily for all three meals to provide one-on-one as- sistance to dining dependent res- idents. Volunteers must participate in a 16-hour training program. For information, contact Mandy Brenchley at 503-325-0313, ext. 209. Clatsop County Animal Shel- ter — Animal care volunteers age 16 and older needed for one 3-hour shift per week. Pick up an application at 1315 S.E. 19th St., Warrenton. For information, or to schedule orientation, call Leslie Atkinson at 503-325-1000. Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank — Volun- teers needed to help hand out fruits and vegetables at the weekly produce pantries for two hours on Thursdays, from April to October, in Seaside and Warrenton. Ware- house attendants are needed for food packing or processing, pick- ing orders for agencies, light jan- itorial and housekeeping, or lawn and grounds maintenance. Three to four-hour shifts are available Monday through Friday. To volun- teer, call 503-861-3663. Clatsop Community College Outreach Literacy — Needs volunteer literacy tutors to work with adults, native and non-native speakers. Training available. For information, call 503-338-2557. Clatsop County Public Works — 1101 Olney Ave. Adopt-A-Road volunteers needed to remove litter two times (minimum) per year for two years. Safety equipment and supplies provided. Volunteers must receive safety orientation. For in- formation, call 503-325-8631. Clatsop Cruise Hosts — Looking for volunteers to meet and greet cruise ship passengers and crew, provide information and answer questions about the Clat- sop County area. Ships arrive in the spring and fall, about 20 ships each year. Work all the ships or part of them. For information, go to www.clatsopcruisehosts.org Columbia Memorial Hospital — Needs volunteers to provide assistance to patients, visitors and hospital staff. Training provided. For information, go to www.colum- biamemorial.org. To schedule an interview, call 503-325-4321. Columbia River Maritime Museum — 1792 Marine Drive. Volunteer opportunities for those with an interest in maritime history. For information, call the volunteer coordinator weekdays at 503-325- 2323. WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Community Emergency Response Team — CERT vol- unteers needed for community events and disaster response with local police, fire and emergency medical service agencies. Training includes fire safety, first aid, traffic and crowd control, communica- tions, damage survey, disaster planning and civic events within city limits. For information, contact CERT coordinator Kenny Hansen at khansen@astoria.or.us or leave a voicemail at 503-325-4411. Friends of Seaside Library — 1131 Broadway, Seaside. Vol- unteers needed to staff the fund- raising store. For information, call 503-738-6742 or stop by the library. Haystack Rock Awareness Program — Needs volunteers for general office assistance and to assist lead interpreters on the beach with signage, ropes and set up during low tides and talking to visitors about the rock and the lo- cal flora and fauna. Must pass a basic background test. Children are always welcome; must be supervised by a parent. For in- formation, contact Lisa Habecker at 503-436-8064 or habecker@ ci.cannon-beach.or.us Knappa Rural Fire Protec- tion District — Needs volunteer firefighters. Training provided. For Long-Term Care Ombuds- man — Certified ombudsman volunteers advocate for the rights, care and dignity of the elderly and disabled living in licensed long- term care facilities. Many residents have no one to watch out or speak up for when things go wrong. Vol- unteer Ombudsmen talk to the residents, investigate complaints, and work to resolve problems. Flexible schedule, four hours a week, mileage reimbursement available. Training is provided. For information, call 800-522-2602 or go to www.oregon.gov/ltco Lunch Buddy Mentoring Pro- gram — Adults needed to mentor elementary and middle school stu- dents once a week during lunch. For information, call Mary Jackson at 503-440-0368 or email lunch- buddies.mp@gmail.com NorthWest Senior & Disabil- ity Services — Needs dishwash- ers and volunteers to serve and clean up weekdays at a meal site, and drivers for Meals on Wheels. For information, contact Candy Foster at 503-738-9323. Providence Seaside Hospi- tal — Needs volunteer drivers for Community Connections, a free program that transports people to services and appointments relat- ed to health and well-being in the Portland-Metro area. Mileage re- imbursement available. For infor- mation, call 503-717-7171 or email Alana.Kujala@providence.org GAME MEAT PROCESSING Debbie D’s will be at Cash & Carry in Warrenton at 10:00 a.m. every Saturday to pick up and deliver meat for processing. 20 lb. min • Each batch individual Please call or leave message by Friday so we know to expect you! DEBBIE D’S Jerky & Sausage Factory 2210 Main Avenue N. • Tillamook, OR • 503-842-2622 Providence Seaside Hospi- tal — Needs volunteers who en- joy meeting, interacting with and helping people. Opportunities are available in the hospital gift shop, café, and as greeters and for spir- itual integration. For information, call 503-717-7171 or email Alana. Kujala@providence.org Seaside American Legion Veterans’ Assistance & Reha- bilitation — Volunteers needed to help knit/crochet items for hos- pitalized vets and cut coupons for military families. Donations of fabric/yarn especially welcome. Group meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 1315 Broadway, Seaside. For information, call 503-738-5111 and leave a message for Marilyn Faulkner. Seaside Museum and Histor- ical Society — Volunteers need- ed to help as docents, maintaining and creating exhibits, and various events throughout the year. Small and large projects available. Any amount of time will be greatly appreciated. Call the museum at 503-738-7065 or email seaside- museum@hotmail.com The Astoria City Council wishes everyone a JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON! Enjoy the lights and holiday festivities while shopping Downtown Astoria! www.astoriadowntown.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 TH - TUESDAY, JANUARY 2 ND Customers can park downtown longer than the posted time limit, except in metered spaces.