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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.