Helping After Harvey: A Family Perspective

Michelle Scott, a member of Denton 3^rd Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the mother of teens Kyle, Braden and Dallin, who volunteered with Mormon Helping Hands in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

My three oldest boys and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel down to Beaumont, Texas, with Mormon Helping Hands from the Denton 3^rd Ward to help muck out houses for families affected by Hurricane Harvey.  It was a life-changing experience, one that has impacted my sons and will stay with us for the rest of our lives. It’s not every day that a natural disaster hits—and there’s nothing that helps you gain perspective quicker than helping people who have lost everything.

We helped a family who had not been able to remove anything from their home since the hurricane hit.  We helped clear the house of everything they owned. Throwing away everything that was valuable, including family pictures and memorabilia, was humbling. My thirteen-year-old son noticed that the owners were searching for things that weren’t damaged and were valuable.

The homeowner found some family pictures that hadn’t been damaged, and she came out of the home, cheering and ecstatic. Later, I noticed that my son was walking through the house, looking for things that she might want to preserve. The rest of us were busily serving by throwing things away and clearing the home—not paying much attention to the family—but my son took the time to stop and talk with the family and recognize what the homeowner’s emotional needs were. It was touching to watch him interact with the family as he found different items that could be saved. He’d walk out of the home so excited to show the newly found item to the family. It reminded me of how the Savior served, focusing on the one.

With each home we finished, we offered a prayer with the families and took a picture. This was a sacred experience each time, and my boys and I all felt connected to these families and our ward members as we bowed our head in humble prayer. After one particular prayer, I looked up and saw the woman and her husband wipe tears from their eyes. Their home had been flooded to the roofline and they had lost everything. They gave us hugs and expressed their gratitude for our help.

When asking my boys what impacted them most, they all mentioned that they were touched to see how the community came together and served each other in a time of need. Although it was hot and difficult work, they felt the strength to continue, knowing that these families needed our help. They felt the love and connection that comes through service. We thought we were going to help others, but we found that this experience blessed our lives in ways that we can’t express. It was a blessing to serve!