Love inspires recovery

Harry Davis remembers the day water rushed over the road, like a dam breaking upstream from his house. It was July 10, 2023, and a devastating flood hit central Vermont.

Davis sheltered in place as his cellar and the main floor of his house flooded. A year later, he recalls feeling panicked and overwhelmed. He had hoped to reduce the flood’s impacts on his house and property.

“It was just so much stronger [and] more powerful than what I was prepared for,” recalled Davis. “It was unbelievable.”

The force of the flood was so strong it shifted rocks supporting the house’s foundation. Davis worried about structural damage and what it would mean for the future. He had lived in the Barre, Vermont, home for 42 years — an anniversary shared with his partner Jo-Ann Alonzo.

In the flood’s aftermath, Davis set out to recover and repair all that he could, with weighted motivation. Alonzo lives in a personal care home in Barre, making a move out of the question.

The 78-year-old committed eight days to mucking out a silt-filled cellar. Then, tackled the mold for “what seemed like forever.” The work was taxing on Davis, who likened his body to an old car battery.

“It’s the most difficult challenge I’ve ever come upon… how to manage an aging body. The amount of work was always a lot, and the flood just blew that off the chart,” he said.

Davis paced himself, knowing that his personal health would be key to prolonging the time he and Alonzo could share together.

Kindness on a grand scale

Although he made impressive progress on clean-up, Davis needed help to address home repairs and the foundational damage.

Nearly a year later, Hope Coalition, a local collaboration of faith and business communities, referred him to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). An experienced crew of RV volunteers arrived at his door and tailored repairs to the specific challenges his aged house and property were prone to.

“It’s a night and day difference,” said Davis, gesturing to a concrete-reinforced foundational corner, a French drain and a ventilated cellar door.

He hopes the repairs will extend the life of his house and his time with Alonzo.

“I’m just so grateful to MDS. [This is] kindness on a grand scale.”

Nikki Hamm Gwala, MDS Canada Communications