Day 7: Wheeling, WV

So today is our last day in Wheeling :(

The rain was coming down hard all day, and there were flood warnings throughout the area. Luckily, the soup kitchen was far enough from the river that we didn't have to worry about getting wet. However, many people closer to the river (and especially on Wheeling Island) needed help preparing for the flood.

Of course, I have never seen a river flood before, so I didn't really know what to expect. And when I saw the river for the first time today, I was shocked! Some of the trees and walkways on the shore were completely submerged! There was also a shack that was underwater!

I remember when we first got to Wheeling on Saturday we saw a restaurant with no windows. It looked really creepy! Now I realize that it's quite common for buildings to have no windows on the lower floors to prevent water from entering during the floods.

After crossing the bridge and getting to Wheeling Island, we started looking for people who needed help moving their washers/dryers from their basement (usually that's the only things they keep down there). We also handed out sandwiches to the people we helped. They were all really thankful, and although it was tough work, we appreciated their gratuity!

When we got back to the soup kitchen, lunch was almost halfway over, but I was still able to talk to some interesting people. I met Rosemary, who was probably about 70 years old; she had lived in the Hawaiian jungle for some time and was very cheery! I also met Burt; he was deaf and had to write down what he wanted to say in order for us to communicate, but he was also very friendly! Some volunteers actually knew sign language, so they were able to use that too.

Art stayed late again today; he played Uno with us until 4:30! By that time, I had exchanged contact information with him, and I hope to keep in touch. I also got Dal's email address.

After taking a much-needed nap, we went out for our final dinner to the Golden Chopstick. It was excellent!

What a fantastic trip this was! I will never forget the people I talked to, the friends I made, and the work that we performed. What a great way to spend my Spring Break!