People of Planada start to smile again

Charlie, a 14-year-old chihuahua, was sunning himself in the front yard. His owner, Kaylin Bertelsen, led the way past him into her damaged home in Planada. In a tumble of words, she recalled the night of Jan. 9, 2023, when floodwaters overtook her home—along with more than 800 others—in the unincorporated community in California’s San Joaquin Valley. 

“It started raining, and at first the water was just up to the curb,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave—I had my mother here, two cats, my mother’s two cats, and Charlie. He is my best friend.”

She tried to sleep but by the wee morning hours, the sheriff was knocking on her door: they had to get out. 

“Then the water was up above my knees,” she said. Driving her large truck, she got her mother and her animals to safety. 

“By the time we got out to the highway, they had snowplows moving walls of water out of the way for lines of cars waiting to get out. After our line got through, they had to use canoes to rescue people,” said Bertelsen, who is grateful they all made it out alive. 

Volunteers from Mennonite Disaster Service have been repairing her home. Among other major repairs, they installed a countertop and sink so she doesn’t have to wash dishes in the bathtub anymore—something she did for more than a month. 

Many of the residents in Planada affected by the flood have, like Bertelsen, continued to live in their badly damaged homes. MDS volunteers have repaired 40 homes, working in partnership first with Catholic Charities then with Habitat for Humanity. 

For Bertelsen, this house is home no matter what. As Charlie trots in, settling on his small dog bed, she smiled. “I pet him every chance I get,” she said. “I know I don’t have that many years left with him.” 

Expressions of care

MDS volunteers have been getting to know the residents of Planada and learning new skills at the same time. Lauren King, from Archbold, Ohio, works back at home as a sign language interpreter and in hospital registration. 

“My dad is a contractor so I do know something about construction, and it’s nice to work with my hands in this way for a change,” she said. 

Volunteer Tom Mosier, from Show Low, Arizona, not only enjoys meeting homeowners, but loves working with other volunteers. “I love seeing the expressions on their faces when they learn something they didn’t think they could do,” said Mosier, who worked in construction for 40 years. “I tell volunteers that, if they serve with MDS for a year, they’ll never have to hire someone to fix their house.” 

A safe space

Jose Vasquez, another Planada resident, also recalled the traumatic night the flood struck. After getting off work at a restaurant after midnight, he tried to return home, and found the roads were closed. The closer he got to Planada—the worse it became. 

“I saw cars were just stopped,” he said. “People didn’t know where to go. They didn’t have anywhere to go.” 

That was the night he realized how dangerous a flood can be. “When something like this happens, you see how valuable it is to be on a safe space,” he said. “You could feel you were very unsafe.” 

His home took in three feet of water. MDS volunteers have been able to install a new door, raise or replace all the flooring, rebuild part of the bathroom and kitchen, and make other repairs. 

“The volunteers are so committed,” said, Vasquez, who moved to the U.S. when he was 14 years old. “The volunteers have big hearts.”

When he moves into his newly repaired home, he’s going to cook up a big pot of chicken soup. “That’s very traditional in my country of Mexico because chicken is what’s available. I even bought a new pot and it’s all ready. I’m going to have my mother come and stay for a few days.”

He looked around his house and smiled. “It’s small—not a lot of room—but it makes me feel good,” he said. “I’d like to have a huge house someday—and it’s okay to dream. But right now I have to say, I’m a lucky person because this is mine.”