Volunteers Help Rebuild - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Volunteers Help Rebuild

Minot is facing the second winter since the devastation of the 2011 flood.

Homeowners are still working hard and fast to complete what they can before winter sets in for good.. and volunteer groups are still coming in to help in the race to make repairs. Jordan Pederson has the story.

Both the leaves and temperatures have fallen... but that hasn't slowed down flooded homeowners like Jane Abel.

(Jane Abel, Homeowner, Burlington) "Basically it has been do-it-myself but I get, all of the sudden, a group of people to work and it gets done."

Junior high students from Hillcrest Academy out of Fergus Falls Minnesota came up Thursday to help with any last minute tasks before winter sets in.

(Allen Aase, Youth Pastor, Bethel Church, Fergus Falls, Minnesota) "We want to show God's love. Life is unfair and if we can bring a little hope to some people that just haven't been able to find the help to get back on their feet, maybe this will help them."

(Jane Abel, Homeowner, Burlington) "I have been blessed. Without them I would probably never be getting in my home."

Students were busy cleaning up the debris left behind in Abel's yard while the work continued inside with sheetrocking.

(Allen Aase, Youth Pastor, Bethel Church, Fergus Falls, Minnesota) "We have about ten adults, skilled labor, so they are sheetrocking, framing and taping and getting some of these houses ready for winter."

Abel's property used to be a kind of oasis to her...

(Jane Abel, Homeowner, Burlington) "A lot of people didn't know there was a house. I had 12 foot lilacs around my house and when they would walk in my yard, they'd call it the hidden garden because it was beautiful and, yeah..."

15 trees have to be cut down and hauled out... but these students don't seem to mind the physical labor.

(Allen Aase, Youth Pastor, Bethel Church, Fergus Falls, Minnesota) "It is good for these kids to work and see that you can have self satisfaction and enjoyment from helping other people. It is not just about them."

Minot church Our Redeemers is affiliated with Bethel Church out of Fergus Falls and is housing this group of about 30 volunteers while they help put back the pieces of flooded properties.

(Allen Aase, Youth Pastor, Bethel Church, Fergus Falls, Minnesota) "With 30 people, you can get a lot done in a short period of time."

Which brings homeowners like Abel that much closer to moving back home.

Jordan Pederson, KX News.

The Hillcrest volunteers were here last month working on several properties in both Burlington and Minot.