Minot Flood Response Update

It has been a busy month in Minot, otherwise called the North Country by the locals, with volunteers coming in from all over, representing 36 states and 4 countries! We’ve settled into our housing sites, two small churches in a small town called Berthold right outside of Minot, with a bunch of All Hands veterans leading the way in the field and trudging through house after house. These homes are filled with mud, debris, and a lifetime’s worth of belongings that have to be taken out in order to start the very long rebuilding process. Our volunteers put on their boots, masks, and goggles every day and get to work, often right alongside the homeowners who are ready to work! The community of Minot is extremely active and anxious to get this mess cleaned up, but they are growing weary. Our volunteers are able to provide a bit of relief for those who have been dealing with this for many months and have many months/years to go before they will be settled back in their homes.

This past month we’ve had a slew of volunteers from around North Dakota come specifically to help with the clean up in Minot! The State of North Dakota started a volunteer program for all it’s employees, which apparently has been the talk around the water cooler because so many have shown up and dive right in with our volunteers. We’ve had the privilege of gutting alongside the Attorney General Stenehjam, Congressman Berg, Senator Hoeven, Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley, First Lady Betsy Dalyrymple, and Governor Dalrymple! It has been fantastic to see the willingness of North Dakota’s leadership to get down and dirty and serve their constituents.

We’re excited about another month of gutting homes in Minot, but we are very aware of the ticking clock that is winter. As the nights are becoming brisk, we take that as a reminder that we have a limited amount of time to clean out as many homes as possible before the first snow, when the clean up process will essentially come to a halt until Spring. There’s much to do, but we’re on a mission! Come join us in the North Country and give the residents of Minot some peace of mind as the Fall settles in.