Little Helper Makes Big Impact While Supporting Survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton
By Sarah Baquet
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers, in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
On Monday, October 14, 2024, Catholic Charities of Acadiana held a one-day disaster supply drive to support our neighbors to the East who suffer in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The generosity of our community in material donations, monetary support, and volunteer help was overwhelming and deeply touching to be witness to.
The 18-wheeler we had prepared to transport donations proved to be insufficient, and we ended up needing three 18-wheelers to get the donations collected to our neighbors to the East!
More than 30 total volunteers, including a group of high school students from Sacred Heart in Ville Platte, LA volunteered - offering hands and hearts to receive, inventory, and prepare the donations for shipping.
What delighted and inspired us all the most was the joy and servant-heartedness of nearly ten school-aged children who served along with their families!
It was so beautiful to see the children each be directed into the niche where they were skilled or felt comfortable and fulfill their role alongside an adult who could guide them.
Some children gravitated toward the physical work of carrying supplies from donor vehicles into the warehouse. Others liked to sort the items and place them on pallets. One child, who was great with numbers worked alongside an adult to inventory the number of items collected in specific categories. One young girl who was very friendly, worked to hand out Catholic Charities of Acadiana annual magazines alongside the adult who was greeting donors.
The children’s dedication and competence were inspiring, and their joy contagious!
One young volunteer, Hayden, brought a spark and joy that captured us all old and young!
Hayden was among our younger volunteers and being that the smallest Disaster Response t-shirt we had to offer was an adult medium, the shirt hung long over his shorts. This did not phase him in the least. Having recently learned to whistle, Hayden set about carrying and sorting donations diligently, whistling the entire time he was serving! And he did not stop for hours!
My own children, who served as volunteers at the supply drive, reflected that night about their volunteer experience. My 12-year-old son’s reflection was that “Hayden was younger than all of us, and he worked harder than all of us!” My entire family heartily agreed.
Haydens grandfather had this to say about the experience:
My grandson, Hayden and I went to deliver supplies for the victims of Hurricane Helene , and were asked to come and get a hand. He was not enthusiastic about the idea, however, I explained to him that many children and their parents had lost everything due to the storm. Children toys were gone and their houses had lots of mud in them.
He then realized that they were sad and needed our help to replace what was lost. So, I went to Wendy’s and filled his belly with a large Cheeseburger and we went to work. Once he saw the joy of everyone there and their enthusiasm of helping others, He went to work like a machine. He was whistling and singing as he was sorting and stacking supplies on the pallets. He had such a positive and joyous attitude of what he was doing in helping us to get all the supplies to the survivors.
He now has a better understanding that we are all put on this earth to serve others and get praise to God. It was a wonderful experience for him and myself, that people came together to help those who lost so much.
I want to thank Catholic Charities of Acadiana, their staff and volunteers for showing so much joy and happiness that were witnessed by my grandson “Hayden“ that day.
Sincerely I remain,
John Mayeux
The disaster supply drive was such a testimony of how each person in so uniquely valuable in God’s Kingdom work. And while we each labor in our place in God’s plan, you can bet that no matter our age, we are inspiring those who we are laboring alongside.