On Monday, Feb. 5, the second half of a group of local residents began their journey south to Mississippi. This isn’t a vacation, and it wasn’t a paid business trip. This week 17 local residents, all connected with the Richfield Springs Bible Church, will be spending their time, money and energy helping total strangers. Their only connection to them is a brief acquaintance made at a Bible conference last year, where Pastor Alan Miller learned about the plight of these Lake Shore Baptist church members who had been hard struck during Katrina and have still not gotten their lives back together. Miller and his fellow church members were partially aided by donations, which helped cover travel expenses, like airfare, and gas and tolls for those who drove. They will not be dining out at fancy restaurants. Instead, Miller said their meals will be provided by the local food pantry, with main fares coming out of cans. They will not be sleeping in a lush four star hotel room, with a spa and pool and jacuzzi for their pampering. Rather, they will curl up at night on the hard floor of the church, on a bedroll, or if they are lucky, on an army cot. While they are there they will not have time for sight seeing. The most amazing site they will see is the lack of aid provided for this poor community in Mississippi that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. But because it was not within the scope of the camera’s eye during initial media coverage of the aftermath, because it was not New Orleans or Louisiana in general, it has been overlooked. Cars are still sitting on top of house roofs. Some homes don’t even have a roof. Debris is piled everywhere. The local Wal-Mart reopened just recently. Similarly, though not as severe, locally, we have a similar travesty to be dealt with. Homes and businesses destroyed in last summer’s flooding still have not been repaired. Home and business owners who have made repairs have not been compensated. Some missed the deadline for applying for federal aid and have no funds to fix the damage. The sad part is that there are businesses and homes damaged that do not qualify for this aid. Why? The homes are not full time residences, the owners have been told. Only full time residents may apply for benefits. Do they only pay part time taxes? Do the businesses not pay taxes at all? What about the poor people in Mississippi? Did they not pay taxes? And if they are just renters, what about the landlords, did they not pay taxes? Where are our tax dollars being spent if not on the needy? Thank goodness for people like Pastor Miller, who without hesitation will pick up a hammer and nails and help rebuild not just a home, not just a community, but a person’s faith. Similarly, there is a group here in Otsego County, Project Recovery. They are working hard to ensure the needy get the aid due them. It’s organizations like Project Recovery that fill in the gaps where our government fails. Kudos to Miller, the RS Bible Church, and Project Recovery, and so many other nameless volunteers and organizations for stepping in and taking charge when the people had nowhere to turn.
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