Lisana's Lines

Two of the events I covered this week involved the heroes of the local fire departments. On Thursday, I took pictures at the presentation of the Heroes Among Us award to the Dalton Volunteer Fire Department. On Friday, I attended the Fireman’s Ball. These brought back fond memories for me about some other heroic fire fighters that I met a couple of years ago.

It was a slightly darker time in my life. After being unemployed for two years, I had to move in with family when my job ended at the same time as the lease on my apartment. I found part-time work in a grocery store deli.

Not where I wanted to be, but a couple of amazing things came out of my time there.

One month into the job, I was part of something spectacular. By way of the deli donating sandwich trays to people at a huge volunteer effort that was taking place one week, I met some of the most amazing people.

On April 4, 2011, a couple of months before I moved back to my hometown, a tornado destroyed an animal rescue building. Three adults and 63 animals survived the total collapse of the facility. The last living thing pulled from the collapsed building was a beautiful white dove named Mrs. Noah.

This wasn’t just any animal shelter; it was also a petting zoo, and the animals were used as therapeutic companions for disabled children, senior citizens, and juvenile offenders.

The plight of this shelter reached all the way to New York, to Jeff Parness, the founder of the New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY). After seeing a news clip about the destruction of the animal shelter and the incredible survival of every living being inside, Parness decided that rebuilding the shelter would be the next project.

NYSTY foundation is a grassroots volunteer organization supported through contributions from individuals across the United States and is registered as a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization.

The foundation was created by Parness after his 5-year-old son suggested sending toys to children who were affected by California wild fires in 2003. Donations were gathered and driven cross-country to distribute to victims of the fire.

In years since, the volunteers, largely made up of firefighters, have traveled to other states including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Texas and Louisiana to help with “build projects” in affected areas. Each year, volunteers and firefighters from the previous location join in the build effort at the next location.

More than 700 volunteers made their way to my hometown to help with the effort. This number included 25 members of the Fire Department of New York; some of whom were first responders and survivors of 9/11.

They were the quiet heroes; they didn’t boast or talk much about their experiences. I found out more about who they are later on when I Googled a few of their names.

I was a bit surprised to learn what a few of these people had gone through, and I gained a new respect for all fire fighters once the realization hit me of how much they sacrifice to save other people’s lives.

As in previous years at the other locations, in addition to the FDNY, other fire fighters and volunteers came from the towns where the NYSTY foundation had been after disasters for build projects. This included people from California, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Arkansas.

Throughout the week that the build was going on, I spent my every free moment there, helping with whatever needed to be done. At night, I would hang out with the volunteers and unwind. Lasting friendships were built while the barn was being constructed.

The 9/11 flag was escorted into town that week .The 9/11 flag that was left in shreds in the aftermath of the attacks and it has been stitched back together by hundreds of people in all 50 states. In 2010, the flag was displayed in Omaha at a police and fire fighter appreciation day.

The week that these wonderful people spent in my hometown was an amazing time. Volunteering on the build and spending time with these heroes lifted my spirits and helped me realize a few things: Even though I was at a low point in my life, things could have been much worse; helping others offers a reward far greater than any monetary compensation can ever equal; sometimes joy can be found in the simplest things; and to always “pay it forward.”

In the words of George Chakiris: “No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible.

Now I realize how much that the present is built upon the past. If I had not gone to work in that deli, I might not have volunteered at the build site. Therefore, I wouldn’t have met those heroes, and I wouldn’t have worked for FetchYourNews. Had I not worked for FYN, I probably wouldn’t have this job today.

FetchYourNews covered the volunteer effort at all stages of the project; from when it was first announced, through the build and the events afterward. I first encountered the FetchYourNews team at the build site, and started working with them one month later.

For more information about NYSTY visit: http://newyorksaysthankyou.org/.

Lisana Eckenrode can be contacted at [email protected].