Formerly incarcerated men help clean up Kerrville flood damage
With gloves on and a skid steer loader rumbling nearby, the men of Restoration of Hope spent Thursday morning clearing flood debris from a neighborhood in Kerrville.
Sorting through loss and memories
"I've seen a few gospel CD players," said Aomer Hewelett, a volunteer from Austin. "A couple of jackets and antique stuff."
Restoration of Hope is a volunteer group based in Texarkana made up of formerly incarcerated or homeless men who assist communities during times of crisis. The group arrived earlier this week after seeing the devastation caused by deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
More than 100 people are confirmed dead, and nearly 200 remain missing. The men worked through piles of debris, much of it from a home that was swept away on July 4. Danny Stone, the group's executive director, said the house originally sat about 200 feet from where it was found. It belonged to a family of three who are still missing.
"Here, no one asked for this," Stone said. "It just came on. It's a part of life that happens. Destruction happens in this world."
From hardship to helping hands
Danny Lyons, a member of the group from Irving, said he came down from the Dallas-Fort Worth area after seeing the devastation.
"There's a lot of loss, heartache — life-wise and material-wise — but the most important thing is the life," Lyons said. "Through that disaster, you run into pictures, momentos, time spent with family."
Lyons, who spent 17 years in prison, said that while he's experienced hardship, what he's seen in Kerrville is beyond comparison.
"This is way worse because there are actually lives you're never gonna see again… that you're never gonna hug, or say a prayer with, or say 'hi dad, mom, good morning,'" he said.
As the cleanup continued Thursday, the men said hope is what they — and so many others — are holding onto.
"Right now, there is a mess here," Stone said. "But God's going to turn this into a message."
