Opinion: Reflecting on flood relief work in Tennessee

After a month of the hardest work I have ever done in my life, a month of 12-hour days with only a few days off -- a month that has been both physically and emotionally demanding as well as rewarding -- my AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team has left middle Tennessee. The flood relief efforts continue -- there are still people who have lost their homes; still people waiting in limbo for rebuilding permits to come through; still work to be done. Other AmeriCorps NCCC teams have taken our place, but my team has left.

We were stationed in rural Cheatham County, 30 minutes outside of Nashville. Though the county was hit very hard by the floods, and the water receded days later than Nashville, the national disaster response organizations, the large donations and the hordes of volunteers were mostly concentrated in the higher profile areas of Nashville and its suburban neighbors. Two weeks after the flood, my team was the only reliable volunteer group out in the field seven days a week.

Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, the people of Cheatham County showed their spirit by banding together as a community and supporting their neighbors. Local churches and other community groups ran donation and volunteer centers, where they organized volunteers and distributed work and supplies.

One notable community group that we worked with was the Red Tree Coffee House in Kingston Springs. Owned by two sisters, Amy and Katie, the Red Tree was a community hangout before the flood, so when the waters receded and people were no longer stranded on the islands of high ground dispersed throughout the town, they naturally gravitated towards the Red Tree.

In the face of a lack of any kind of disaster response organization, Amy and Katie became volunteer organizers. They knew the neighborhoods and the people, and they knew what areas were hit the hardest and who needed help. We would stop in most mornings for supplies, coffee, and conversation, and they would direct us to people in need.

Then there were the homeowners themselves, many of whom worked alongside us and were quick to point us to their neighbors' houses. One homeowner, a cheerful guy named Roy, was of the opinion that this was all just stuff that can be replaced, so we might as well have fun with it while we can.

Roy's house had flooded almost to the top, and we spent a day sledge-hammering ruined furniture, throwing major appliances out the second story window -- washing machine, dishwasher and fridge -- and watching them explode when they hit the ground.

We spent several more days gutting other houses on the street, including that of Roy's father, which had been completely submerged.

This whole experience has affected me in ways I can't even begin to express -- in ways that I will still be uncovering years down the road, but I will always remember the people of Middle Tennessee, how they opened their lives and their community to us and welcomed us like family, and for that I feel I must return the humbling gratitude they have shown us.

This account is from John Serbell a native of Westport who is a member of AmeriCorps NCCC, a fully residential leadership program for young people ages 18 to 24. AmeriCorps programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency.

Through an agreement with FEMA and the American Red Cross, NCCC members have responded to every domestic national disaster since 1994, and are certified in CPR, first aid and disaster response. In exchange for completing 1700 hours of service during a 10-month term, these young people receive an education award of more than $5,000, plus a living stipend, housing and more. Interested applicants and project sponsors are encouraged to learn more by visiting www.americorps.gov/nccc or calling 1-800-942-2677.