They call themselves ‘No dirt? for short, but when the North Oakland Disaster Relief Team goes to work, nothing could be further from the truth.
Just before Christmas, the Clarkston-based group traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to continue rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina wreaked disaster in 2005.
‘I don’t think people realize how much is still so undone down there,? said Lisa Gaydos, a NODRT volunteer who lives in White Lake. ‘Whenever there’s a big crisis, you get all these people interested, but the interest wanes as time goes by and people think ‘Oh, that was three years ago.? But everything is not back to normal.?
And she would know. Gaydos and other members of NODRT have been to Biloxi a number of times. They’ve seen the devastation, the flattened homes and the displaced families, and say they’ll continue making the trip each year as long as it means they’re helping someone in need.
‘One of the things we do is give people hope,? said NODRT co-founder Stan Garwood, an Independence Township resident. ‘When they come up to you and say ‘you came all the way from Michigan? Thank you, thank you. I can’t wait to get back into my house,? that makes it all worthwhile.?
NODRT, a church-based, non-profit organization, was founded in 1999 by Garwood and Bob Hadden, a longtime friend.
In the beginning, a small core group sent information to local churches, recruiting volunteers from Clarkston United Methodist, Calvary Lutheran, St. Daniel’s, Clarkston Community Church and a number of others.
But while the organization is church-based, members come from all walks of life; to come along on a trip, Garwood said, volunteers need only be over 18 and willing to work hard to help others.
Twice a year, the group travels to locations around the country.
Since 2005, the weeklong ‘Big Trip? has taken them to the Gulf Coast, while efforts on shorter trips, usually 4-5 days, are focused elsewhere.
In May, NODRT is planning a trip to a location not yet determined. They’ll go, Garwood explained, wherever the need is greatest.
And they’re hoping to bring along some new recruits.
‘For me I get more out of it than I give,? he said. ‘The feelings I get when I walk away restore me. You’re giving people their hope back and helping them restart their lives and I can’t think of anything more worthwhile.?
In addition to Gulf Coast trips, missions have taken NODRT members to Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia.
While the group currently has about 100 members on its mailing list, only about half are active.
Of those, only 16 were able to go on the most recent trip; the time before that, only 9 went along.
‘It’s never as much as you hope for,? said Kathy Garwood, Stan Garwood’s wife and also a NODRT member. ‘I guess because we feel this is such a great thing to do, we hope everybody feels that way.?
And while skilled tradesmen and women are welcome, there’s more than enough work, members say, for able-bodied individuals who have the skills and desire, simply, to roll up their sleeves and work hard.
Volunteers do everything from painting and drywall to carpentry and electrical work, and many learn new skills along the way.
Immediately following a disaster, however, is when NODRT members seem to get dirtiest.
‘I remember the first year we did mucking-out, which is just horrible,? said Kathy Garwood.
‘Everything’drywall, carpet, everything’is moldy and wet. We carried out a freezer full of shrimp and meat, and it all drained out on us.?
The experience, she explained, can be emotionally overwhelming.
‘Coming back, you don’t even feel like eating,? she said. ‘We have so much here. You go into a restaurant and you could hardly eat your whole meal because they have so little. It still bothers me.?
But Kathy agrees with her husband, Stan.
‘You’re giving people their hope back,? she said. ‘And you realize how much you have.?
Member Ben Pusheck said his experience has been similar.
‘I’ve done Habitat for Humanity and other things in the past,? he said. ‘But I’d get there and find they already had more than enough people.?
His first trip to work in the Gulf Coast, Pusheck said, was a wake up call, and taking a week of vacation with NODRT each year helps him to look at his own life in terms of ‘what can I do,? verses ‘what do I need.?
‘Our norm is Clarkston, where a small house is 2,800 square feet,? he said. ‘Down there, the norm is 800 square feet, and you’ve got a mom with four kids and she’s happy, smiling, going ‘thank you, thank you. I can’t wait to get into my home.? It resets you.?
Donations from churches and member families help support NODRT efforts, but the organization is in need of additional funding as well as volunteers.
For more information, email gbuschur@calvary-lutheran.org, call Stan Garwood at 248-625-3123 or write to NODRT, 9340 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, MI, 48348.