In California community, “you were sent by God to be here”

A group of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers arrived in Planada—a small community in California’s San Joaquin Valley—on Jan. 5, bringing with them a sense of service and hearts full of hope.

They are aiming to repair 182 flood-damaged homes in Planada, a farm labor community that is home to 4,000 people.

Habitat for Humanity is the organization authorized to disperse funds for repairs. The project will last from January through March, and the Calvary Assembly of God Church has offered its facility for use by volunteers during that time.

Harrowing experience

At 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2023, a levee broke outside Planada, flooding 80 percent of the homes.

“Many homes were filled with water to a level of nearly four feet, ruining floor and dry wall, compromising electrical outlets and destroying cabinets,” said Jim Holm, MDS project coordinator. “When the flood waters receded, the residents moved back in. They had nowhere else to go.”

Many have no insurance or inadequate insurance and so, now, two years later, they are still living in homes that may have mold in the walls, and other signs of severe water damage.

He thinks about the Trujillo family of five, living in their small home. Jan. 8, 2023, was the last night of Christmas vacation.

“All the children were in bed, waiting for morning to come when they would return to school,” said Holm. “For some reason, Mrs. Trujillo awoke at about 1:30 a.m. and got out of bed.”

As her feet hit the floor she was standing in water. “She went to the kitchen and bathroom to see if there was a leak somewhere,” said Holm. “By the time she got back to wake her husband, the water was to her knees.”

By the time the three children and their parents got out of the house, the water was up to their waists. “In the summer, MDS went in and tore out the drywall, removed mold, removed cabinets and flooring, and replaced it all,” said Holm. “The Trujillos said to the volunteers, ‘You were sent by God to be here.’”

Holm added that the spirit of the volunteers is amazing. “They tackle any task, no matter how difficult or how menial, with grace and enthusiasm,” he said. “Their spirit is catching and spills over from one to the other and to anyone else who happens to encounter them. Every volunteer contacted is eager to serve and knows that their work is important in people’s lives.”