Eight Days of Hope's Chandler Gurley on Rapid Response, Clean Clothes & Food after F5 Tornado

Show Transcript



Speaker 1

And now America's Healthcare Advocate, Cary Hall. Hello, America. Welcome to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across USA on the HIA Radio Network. My producer, Mr. Darren Wilhite. I'm your host, Gary Hall. This is your show, America. Thank you for joining us and making us one of the most listened to talk shows throughout the United States.

00;00;22;22 - 00;00;54;19

Speaker 1

You know, we've got a huge following now on all 14 of the podcast platforms. So if you're on SoundCloud, Apple, Google Odyssey or Spotify, there's a whole series of them. All these shows are videotaped out and they're posted up on those podcast platforms. We had 168,000 downloads in the last 90 days. So we really appreciate all of you out there listening to the shows on the podcast platform and on YouTube, where we set another record for us in terms of the number of minutes that people are watching these broadcasts on YouTube.

00;00;54;19 - 00;01;14;27

Speaker 1

So we thank you and appreciate it. And of course, all of you out there on our affiliates all across the country, we appreciate you listening to us on terrestrial radio. So just wanted to thank you all for that. Our website is America's Healthcare Advocate dot com. If you have questions, comments, anything I can help you with, go to the website.

00;01;14;29 - 00;01;35;07

Speaker 1

Send me an email. I am more than happy to help you in any way that I can. So anything that relates to health care or anything else that's of interest to you that you'd like to have us talk about, we're happy to do that. Also, if you are chronologically challenged and you're looking for Medicare, the lovely Joyce Thompson or Carolee Steele at RPS Benefits by Design.

00;01;35;08 - 00;02;02;19

Speaker 1

877-385-2224. Anywhere in the country. I don't care where you are. If you're getting ready, you're ready to move to Medicare. Or maybe you're looking at a special needs program. They can help you. They're qualified experts. They've been doing it for like 20 years. They're very, very good at it. Also, if you're an employer out there and you're struggling with the cost of health insurance, give Maria Allen a call over at RPS Benefits by Design.

00;02;02;25 - 00;02;23;08

Speaker 1

They've got some pretty amazing, unique programs, especially designed for small businesses that can really make a difference for you, improve benefits and cut costs. All right. So this is a show today that I like. We even tried. We've been trying to get this on the air. Joining me today is Chandler Gurley and Dr. Phil Carson. Dr. Carson is a veteran of this show, done a number of shows with this.

00;02;23;08 - 00;02;40;02

Speaker 1

Chandler Gurley is here from Eight Days of Hope. This is Yeah. So this is unusual. People. I don't normally do these kind of shows. But you know we hear you normally if you listen to the news or pick up a newspaper for those you, they'll still read newspapers like I do. You don't see a lot of good news.

00;02;40;02 - 00;03;01;04

Speaker 1

You don't see a lot of what's going on out there in this country by ordinary people helping other people. And I thought it would be nice to have these folks on to talk about what they do, because what they do is really basic. You know, eight days of hope goes into areas in the country where there are hurricanes, floods, disasters, whatever the case may be.

00;03;01;10 - 00;03;23;28

Speaker 1

And they do very basic things for eight days. And we're going to talk about that today and how they take care of people and help people. This is a Christian ministry. They do a great job. And Dr. Carson's going to talk about how they interacted with folks in his neighborhood. His son lost his entire home along with a group of neighbors as the hurricanes came through.

00;03;23;28 - 00;03;32;24

Speaker 1

So we're going to talk about all about the tornadoes today with Chandler Gurley with that. Chandler, welcome to the broadcast. We're happy to have you on. Dr. Carson, welcome back.

00;03;32;26 - 00;03;34;10

Speaker 2

Thank you so much.

00;03;34;12 - 00;03;35;04

Speaker 3

Happy to be here.

00;03;35;10 - 00;03;52;02

Speaker 1

Well, it's great to have you. So, Chandler, how did how did all this get started? Let's just talk about this overnight. I spent some time this morning reading as I was doing show prep for this. And I told you as we were off air there a minute ago, you know, the basic things that you do, we take for granted, don't think about.

00;03;52;02 - 00;04;13;18

Speaker 1

But, you know, when you've got a feeding ministry, I've never seen a shower ministry before. That was a new one and a laundry ministry. Those are all very basic things. But but they're very important because what happens when you can't take a shower or wash your clothes. So talk a little bit about how you got started and how what you do to provide these basic services to people in times of need.

00;04;13;18 - 00;04;45;19

Speaker 2

Chandler would love to. So it is. This hope started in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. And like you said, it was a very simple mission and vision of just going to help people in need. As we know, Hurricane Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans Bay, Saint Louis, Mississippi area. And the goal is simple, just to get volunteers down there to help their neighbors and simple ways, just helping them sift through their stuff, tarp ing their roofs, just being someone to listen to their story.

00;04;45;19 - 00;05;12;07

Speaker 2

A lot of trauma with natural disasters, just being there and listening to people and what they've gone through is very therapeutic for them. So very simple, as you said. And since then we have served almost 10,000 families. We have done almost $72 million worth of work for free. Our last rapid response was Dr. Thiel In my hometown of Amory, Mississippi.

00;05;12;09 - 00;05;46;29

Speaker 2

I've never been able to respond, thankfully, to my hometown before, until this past April. So it was definitely an unreal experience. But you're right, we're whenever you're hit by disaster, sometimes the most simple things become the forefront. You know, when you're clean, you feel safe. You feel like you can continue on when your laundry is done, when you're able to pick up all your clothes and your bedding that's been thrown maybe down the block and it's soaking wet because with tornadoes, you have lots of rain as well.

00;05;46;29 - 00;06;10;25

Speaker 2

It's not just the winds to be able to have your belongings that are yours that you paid for clean and ready to be used again. Those things we definitely take for granted in life and some days of hope. We our mission statement as makes this to love and serve those in need. And that's what we do all around the country.

00;06;10;25 - 00;06;24;04

Speaker 2

We were after disasters. We leave, rebuild homes. We have a feeding ministry that feeds the community. And we also have a laundry ministry and a shower ministry. So all we're doing is trying to simply serve people that are in need.

00;06;24;06 - 00;06;41;17

Speaker 1

You know, it's interesting because I listen to you talk and the fact that this actually happened in your hometown, which you probably, as you said, you never experienced that for Dr. Carson. You guys are neighbors, live in the same town. And here you have a ministry that goes out and helps people in Hurricane Katrina. And now it's your actual neighborhood in your town.

00;06;41;20 - 00;07;03;02

Speaker 1

You know, and I think about that and I think about when you're watching the news at night or, you know, watching a broadcast or looking on the Internet, reading stories, what's going on, it's always somebody else. Okay. And then, you know, what was that like when it wasn't somebody else? It was you guys. I mean, it was right there in your hometown and you had to deploy.

00;07;03;02 - 00;07;08;17

Speaker 1

You're so are you headquartered there in Amery or are you headquartered in Tupelo?

00;07;08;19 - 00;07;51;07

Speaker 2

It is of Hope is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi. But I am from Emory, Mississippi, born and raised there, still live there today. So commute back and forth to work when we're not on the road. I cannot explain how surreal of a situation it was when the tornado hit. Amory I have responded, I think, to 25 disasters all over the country up until this point with being with eight days of hope for the past six years, any stranger sympathetic to people going through difficulty, destruction and disaster, you think that you are able to relate in some type of way to them because we've all gone through things in our lives, but until you actually have gone

00;07;51;07 - 00;08;16;28

Speaker 2

through a disaster is on a whole nother level when it's your pastor that somewhat effective, when it's your teachers, when it's your neighborhood that you grew up in. I grew up in one of the hardest hit areas in Amory, right across the street from the high school and a walk that neighborhood. And to see your old house with no roof on it and all of your neighbors stuff strewn everywhere it is just is hard to put into words.

00;08;17;00 - 00;08;40;06

Speaker 2

I remember telling some of our volunteers when they showed up that I've never been more thankful that this is what we do. I never thought in a million years I would be a part of a disaster relief ministry. I knew at a young age that the Lord was calling me to something different, a life of service to him, but I would have never guessed ministry would be with rapid response.

00;08;40;06 - 00;08;53;12

Speaker 2

And so it was very humbling. But I'm so thankful that it is hope exists, I think, for Samaritan's Purse, other ministries that respond exist because you see how much is needed when it hits your people.

00;08;53;14 - 00;09;12;20

Speaker 1

Yeah, so we got about a minute left here. Dr. Carson, just quickly before we go to break, what your son lost his entire home this was a tornado situation, not a hurricane situation. You know what we what what what did it feel like to you? We've got about 50 seconds here before we go to break. When you saw this occurring in your own neighborhood.

00;09;12;23 - 00;09;21;12

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah, it was it was devastating. Of course, you know, we you know, we're in Tornado Alley, so to speak.

00;09;21;12 - 00;09;27;07

Speaker 1

We sort of we hear it. So yeah, sir, we here in Kansas, we're very familiar with this. Yeah. Yes.

00;09;27;08 - 00;09;53;23

Speaker 3

Yeah. This is something we, we, we deal with every year and we have we've had a lot of close calls. I would, I would say to our community and you know, but 11, 12 years ago, a town in our county was totally wiped off the map with F-5 tornado and F-5. And it was very devastating. But this hit a lot closer to home.

00;09;53;23 - 00;09;55;04

Speaker 1

Yeah, obviously.

00;09;55;07 - 00;10;11;08

Speaker 3

This one was in a half mile of my house. The tornado came through and devastated my neighbors up the road where I live. My son lives in the town of Beam, really about in the county. But it it went across the whole county wreaking havoc.

00;10;11;10 - 00;10;32;26

Speaker 1

So that that gives you some perspective, folks, to what we're going to talk about here today and how basic important these basic, simple things are to have them available to how these folks actually do this. We're going to tell you how you can interact with them when we come back from the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HBO radio network Coast to Coast across the USA.

00;10;32;26 - 00;10;36;04

Speaker 1

You stay tuned. We've got more right after the break.

00;10;36;07 - 00;11;09;14

Speaker 4

The golden rule, treat others, as you want to be treated. I'm Steve Picker and this is one of the founding principles of my firm, Senior Care Consulting. Since 2002, our value statement has included honor, our mother and father, respect our elders, care for those in need, and treat your family as our own. We've been honored to help hundreds of families make one of the most difficult decisions they could ever make, serving them in their greatest time of need.

00;11;09;17 - 00;11;37;11

Speaker 4

If you're looking for someone who can provide you experienced and objective guidance when searching for a senior care community, reach out today and discover the services of Senior Care Consulting at 913945 2800 913945 T-800. Know your options and choose with care that senior care consulting income.

00;11;37;14 - 00;11;57;15

Speaker 1

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocates Show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA here on the HIA Radio Network. You can find out more about us by going to the website America's Healthcare Advocate. If you've got a question or comments in email, I'm happy to help you. I get a lot of these, but I answer each and every one, so feel free to do that.

00;11;57;18 - 00;12;21;04

Speaker 1

Joining me today from Mississippi, from Amory, Mississippi, Chandler Gurley and Dr. Phil Carson. Chandler is a director for eight Days of Hope, a ministry that goes into areas that are hard hit through hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, all types of natural disasters, etc.. And basically delivers basic services to folks to get them through that first eight days. How do you take a shower?

00;12;21;08 - 00;12;51;02

Speaker 1

How do you wash your clothes? How am I going to feed my kids tonight? Those are the kinds of things they do. I mean, it really gets down to some very basic things. They've done some remarkable work. They've had 49,692 volunteers that have served people at eight days of hope. They've had 1,881,456 volunteer hours to date. That's how many hours they've put in and raised $70,126,530 of work that they've actually done in these communities.

00;12;51;02 - 00;13;12;17

Speaker 1

It's quite remarkable what they've done helped 4974 families right after their disaster and helped worked on 3938 homes. So they do a lot of good. If you want to get involved or help out with them, the website is Eight Days of Hope. You have to spell the word eight eight days of hope dot com eight days of hope dot com.

00;13;12;17 - 00;13;35;23

Speaker 1

You want to learn more about them? Maybe you'd like to volunteer. Maybe that's something you'd like to do. The phone number 6628446934. All right. So Chantel, let's talk about how you kind of like in a military terminology, how do you deploy? So now there's there's a disaster, whether it's Katrina or whether, you know, you know, it's another town, you know, somewhere.

00;13;35;25 - 00;13;45;27

Speaker 1

I know you've got an office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, now. So, you know, let's say there's a you know, there's a disaster in Kansas and Missouri. How do you guys roll out and what do you do?

00;13;45;29 - 00;14;01;15

Speaker 2

So let's say a storm hit Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our first basic things is to make sure that we have all of our leadership in order, because when we send an email to 30,000 people saying, please come to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we have to make sure that we have enough leaders available.

00;14;01;22 - 00;14;03;18

Speaker 1

Did you just say 30,000 people?

00;14;03;25 - 00;14;07;24

Speaker 2

Yes, our database is 30,000 strong right now.

00;14;07;27 - 00;14;17;29

Speaker 1

That is absolutely remarkable. So all right. So now you send an email out and as you said, they've got to get there and then somebody has got to tell them what they're supposed to do. So how does all that how does all that work?

00;14;18;06 - 00;14;42;29

Speaker 2

Yes. So our goal of rapid response is to be on the ground accepting volunteers within 48 to 72 hours. So our leadership team, who I lead that first day after a storm hit is crucial. I mean, we are round the clock working to find our host church. We always try to work through a local church because like you said, we're only up we're only there for eight days or up to a couple of weeks, depending, depending on how large the storm is.

00;14;43;01 - 00;14;59;10

Speaker 2

And so we want to point people back to hope, and that's what we find in the church. So we have to find a host church that's willing to lodge us, accept all of our feeding equipment, all of our trailers. We have over $6 million worth of equipment that we bring to an event.

00;14;59;12 - 00;15;02;28

Speaker 1

So that's a lot of equipment. It's a.

00;15;02;28 - 00;15;23;09

Speaker 2

Lot. It's a lot of bobcats, a lot of lifts, a lot of chainsaws, a lot of mucking out homes. If it's a flood, a lot of chainsaws, if it's a tornado. So what happens is we have a whole equipment team. We have a whole leadership team. We have all seeding team. And my job is to coordinate all of those teams to get to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

00;15;23;11 - 00;15;47;19

Speaker 2

So that happens really within 12 hours of a storm hitting. Then we send out the email, like we said, to our volunteer database to say, Hey, we're going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from this state to this state, please come. And we'd love to have you. And you would be so amazed at how many people immediately volunteer. They take their vacation ends, they take time off from their jobs, and then they just show up in a marie.

00;15;47;20 - 00;16;10;08

Speaker 2

We average 300 volunteers a day for three weeks. That's amazing. We say to name every three weeks. And we had 300 volunteers a day. So you have to have enough support. And we have an incredible volunteer leadership team. So we have a staff of 13. We have a volunteer leadership team, which is who leads the volunteers whenever we deploy of 211.

00;16;10;10 - 00;16;30;29

Speaker 2

And so they get the communication as soon as we know so that they know, hey, we're going to City Rapids, Iowa. We need you to lead cruise, We need you to lead hundreds of volunteers a day. And Amory, we had over 75 leaders around the country coming in to lead the 300 volunteers a day. It was like almost a rebuild size.

00;16;30;29 - 00;17;02;29

Speaker 2

It was incredible. But a lot of the logistics happened in the first 12 hours. We want volunteers on the ground within 42 to 70 or 48 to 72 hours. And then once we get that established, then we bring in our shower units like we've talked about in our laundry units. And we we set those up at different churches primarily wherever the devastation is the most, so that they can receive those basic needs that we've been talking about being clean, making sure your belongings are clean, and you getting food.

00;17;03;02 - 00;17;13;25

Speaker 2

So last year we launched our mass feeding ministry, typically with rapid response. Since 2014, we've only said our volunteers that come in to serve from all over the country.

00;17;13;26 - 00;17;14;07

Speaker 1

Right.

00;17;14;10 - 00;17;37;23

Speaker 2

Before sentencing and knowing, as you know, that a lot of ministry, some ministries do this as they just be the community that's impacted. And we had not ever done that before in when all the hurricanes hit Louisiana two years ago. Mandeville, Kenner, LA. Plus there were La Paso that was without a power for 30 days. So the grocery stores were closed.

00;17;37;23 - 00;17;59;20

Speaker 2

There was no power. The generator, they could get generators, but no fuel. So we said, okay, we're going to send one of our feeding units down there just to feed, not do rapid response, not smoking, no chopping. And we saw more ministry happen with just providing food, giving it to them. It was like a drive through. They got their food and then we prayed with them and we just loved on them.

00;17;59;20 - 00;18;09;13

Speaker 2

And we got to use the local church there, their congregation, to love on them and pass out the food. And that's when the massive ministry was born, the mass feeding ministry.

00;18;09;14 - 00;18;14;19

Speaker 1

So are you are you actually preparing meals for them? Are you handing out bags of groceries so they can make sure.

00;18;14;20 - 00;18;46;25

Speaker 2

Preparing hot meals so that we're preparing a hot meal so every person that goes through our mass feeding line will get one hot meal per person in that family and one bag per person in that family of dry goods like Gatorade, pop Tarts, things that they don't have to store in a refrigerator. As you know, and as and as Dr. Phil knows, when your home town is hit, you don't want a pop tart and you don't want a PowerBar, you want a spaghetti hot food, you want to roll spaghetti, green beans.

00;18;46;25 - 00;18;54;25

Speaker 2

And so that's what we're trying to provide you some sense of home since it's a comfort. So that's our message.

00;18;54;27 - 00;19;12;08

Speaker 1

That's true. Mark, It's interesting to hear you break this down like this, because, again, you know, as I said earlier in the last segment, you don't think of these things, but I mean, you know, yeah, a hot meal. How important is that to have a hot meal? We're going to go to break here pretty quick. But I do have to ask one question.

00;19;12;14 - 00;19;20;15

Speaker 1

Does FEMA interact with you guys at all or. Okay. So you you you coordinate with FEMA so that you're all working together.

00;19;20;17 - 00;19;29;09

Speaker 2

The good thing is we so FEMA typically comes in 5 to 7 days after the disaster hits. So it's a little bit delayed.

00;19;29;09 - 00;19;34;13

Speaker 1

Yeah. No kidding. Yeah. What are what are people supposed to do for seven days after the disaster?

00;19;34;15 - 00;19;58;24

Speaker 2

Yeah. So that's why I mean, I really feel like that's what God has called us in the sphere with other ministries as well, because we can get there faster than the government can. Yeah. We work so closely with the and the local EMS. So with Monroe County, with with all the disasters we responded to, our the EMA is gold to us because they're the ones telling us this is where the this is the path of the tornado.

00;19;58;24 - 00;20;06;21

Speaker 2

This is the path of the hurricane. These are the areas affected. So we go to nightly meetings with the EMA every every time we're deployed.

00;20;06;25 - 00;20;24;20

Speaker 1

Remarkable story, folks. If you want to help these folks out, I'm sure they could use a few more volunteers. It's eight days of hope dot com. It's spelled eight. You have to spell the word eight eight days of Oprah.com. The phone number 662844 6934. I'm sure if you want to donate, they'd be happy to receive your donation. We'll be right back after the break.

00;20;24;20 - 00;20;45;21

Speaker 1

When we come back. Dr. Carson is going to talk about what actually happened for his son and his neighbors and how eight days of help came in for those eight days. And or actually, it turned out to be more like three weeks and interacted with their communities. And we'll be right back after the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network.

00;20;45;27 - 00;20;52;27

Speaker 1

Coast to coast across the USA. We'll be right back.

00;20;52;29 - 00;21;22;10

Speaker 1

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Health Care, our big show broadcasting coast to coast across the fruited plain here on the HIA Radio Network. You can find out more about us by going to the website America's Healthcare Advocate. My producer, Mr. Gerard Wilhite. I mean, I'm your host, Cary Hall, joining me from Mississippi today and Mississippi Chandler Gurley, who is the director of Eight Days of Hope, and Dr. Phil Carson, who's been a guest on this show many times talking about various farm metrics, cuticles and other things.

00;21;22;10 - 00;21;45;18

Speaker 1

He is a pharmacologist, a doctor. He's a great expert in health care. But in this case, he was the receiving end of eight days of hope as his town in Mississippi was hit by a devastating tornado. So, Dr.. Just, you know, first of all, what happened and then how quickly after the tornado and everything was over and the all clear sounded, did eight days of help people deploy?

00;21;45;19 - 00;21;46;03

Speaker 1

Dr..

00;21;46;06 - 00;22;14;23

Speaker 3

Oh, yeah. Well, thank you, Kyra. I appreciate this. And I appreciate you taking the time with your show today to introduce to the country to the children's Eight Days of Hope and we're just super grateful for them and for work work in the ministry that they do. But, you know, we we weren't expecting what we got back the end of March this year.

00;22;14;26 - 00;22;40;19

Speaker 3

It was you know, we we had tornadoes come through quite often. Sometimes they'll touch down, do a little bit of damage. Sometimes they touch down and they do major damage. And it had been quite a few years since we had had one to come through that did any major damage to our area. But this one hit really close to home.

00;22;40;21 - 00;23;08;08

Speaker 3

It came through my community. I live out in the county, out in the country, and within a half mile of my house, my neighbors were wiped out. Thankfully, our home was not damaged. We had a couple of trees down on our property, but I have them all up the road. It was devastating. And neighbors, some of them totally.

00;23;08;08 - 00;23;32;09

Speaker 3

They lost everything. Everything. Little country church up the road about a mile or a mile and a half up the road from me where my wife and I got married. Her parents were married there. My oldest son and his wife were married. Their church had been there for 100 over 100 years and actually a little over 100 years ago.

00;23;32;11 - 00;23;57;26

Speaker 3

It was destroyed by a tornado. I, I think it was 102 years later as this year destroyed again, again by tornado. But it totally wiped that church out. Nothing was left but just a pile of rubble. And then the homes all around, you know, either they were totally wiped off their their foundations are there or the roofs were gone.

00;23;58;03 - 00;24;24;07

Speaker 3

Major damage non-repayable and it went across there. The county where we live and went through the town of Amory, Mississippi, which is a few miles down the road from where I live out in the country where my son lives. There he was his home, as you know, Chandler's previous home, her family business, all of that was directly hit.

00;24;24;08 - 00;25;01;01

Speaker 3

The tornado went directly through the area to massive oak trees, went through the center of my son's house, basically splinters, split his house in half. And we saw that all over the community. Massive trees. And this tornado basically totally changed the landscape of Amory, Mississippi, you know, landmarks that were, you know, were there. I mean, you know, when you drive around the places, a lot of times you you you know, where you are by the trees in the area.

00;25;01;03 - 00;25;17;16

Speaker 3

And, you know, those trees are gone. They're massive. I'm talking of massive, massive oaks and pines that probably some of them, you know, 50 to 100 years old just pulled out of the ground.

00;25;17;18 - 00;25;35;24

Speaker 1

So all of this happens, All of this happens. And you first of all, I'm curious, down here in the Midwest, we all have basements and we have what are called safe rooms, the tornado rooms, even in the oldest houses. Do y'all have basements there in Mississippi or are they are you built all on? No, you don't. You're shaking your.

00;25;35;24 - 00;25;38;06

Speaker 3

Head. Lot of basements? No, very few.

00;25;38;07 - 00;25;54;04

Speaker 1

So so for. So was there a significant loss of life due to the fact that people had no place to shelter or were they still able to survive like your son, other people? Were they able to shelter and get through this or was there a significant loss of life?

00;25;54;05 - 00;26;19;03

Speaker 3

Yeah, Well, many, many people have shelters. We have underground shelters that we can get in. We have one on our property. Here is a family shelter. I live on a family farm and we have an underground shelter that was put in basically a dig a hole when you put this concrete, build a concrete shelter underground and that's what a lot of people have here.

00;26;19;09 - 00;26;32;16

Speaker 3

Some people have concrete safe rooms that they actually built into their into their houses. But because of the terrain here, there are very few basements, very few.

00;26;32;18 - 00;26;48;20

Speaker 1

But once this happened, how quickly you walk outside and, you know, half the town is destroyed. Once this happened, how quickly was Chandler and her team able to get resources there? Then what happened? What started to happen after that?

00;26;48;22 - 00;27;14;24

Speaker 3

Yeah, well, of course, you know, we have because this happens so much here and tornadoes come through here so often. You know, we have the weather station that everybody listen to the local television station. They have a tremendous weather team there. And there's an amazing job of coming on. And, you know, if if the power gets knocked out, you've got your Facebook on the phone that they're on.

00;27;14;28 - 00;27;39;26

Speaker 3

They're using all platforms to communicate to people, get the word out, hey, this comet, get ready. Yeah. So we heard that we you know, we got the warning. Get ready. We went and got in our safe room. And as most people did, you know, there was some people that didn't, unfortunately and fortunately, unfortunately, there was one family that was totally devastated that did not go to their safe place.

00;27;39;29 - 00;27;53;15

Speaker 3

And then the father and a child lost lost their life. And but it's a miracle Caryd that the devastation that's in our area, that there was not only two lives lost where we live. Right.

00;27;53;18 - 00;28;01;20

Speaker 1

That yeah, that is a miracle. So how quickly were able or were they able to come in and start? Were they there like the next day? Doctor, how did that all work out there?

00;28;01;22 - 00;28;30;03

Speaker 3

It was absolutely amazing. You know, they were here immediately and and and many other organizations as well immediately came in. It was pretty amazing that the day, the morning after, because this hit at night, it was around between 11 and midnight that we got hit. Oh, wow. And the next morning, of course, we went into town to see what damage was done to my son's home.

00;28;30;10 - 00;28;55;16

Speaker 3

We were told by neighbors that it had been hit. And, you know, we got there and saw it. Heartbreaking. Yeah. Yeah. You know, but we were cleaning up. We immediately started the cleanup ourselves. I brought in my chain, saw several friends and family, came in with chainsaws, and then all of a sudden, we see people bring in heavy equipment up and down the street.

00;28;55;18 - 00;29;05;23

Speaker 3

And, you know, they came in immediately. I mean, it wasn't like two or three days later they were here immediately and and and helping.

00;29;05;26 - 00;29;24;08

Speaker 1

And so did you Did you guys predict ploy people because your doctor talked about the fact that, you know, the weather says this thing is coming. Do were you able to alert your people and get them ready so they were ready to I mean, literally, he's talking about the next morning, he walks in town and you've got heavy equipment out there moving debris.

00;29;24;11 - 00;29;28;05

Speaker 1

Were you able to pre-deployed to get everybody ready to go? Is that how you did this?

00;29;28;05 - 00;29;50;06

Speaker 2

We're always ready. So we're so whenever we come back from a response, the one the response before Amory was Selma, Alabama. So as soon as we come back from Selma that next week, we get all of the trailer ready again, all the equipment ready within two days of it coming back from response is ready to deploy again. So everybody is on alert.

00;29;50;08 - 00;30;08;07

Speaker 2

You know, that night I was in the storm shelter. There's some storm shelters around Monroe County that are like big domes that have been made since what Dr. Carson is talking about, this mobile tornado a couple of years ago. Since then, there's been big domes built and then they're in county. So that's where I was with my family.

00;30;08;14 - 00;30;30;18

Speaker 2

And like he said, and I'm sure he probably felt the same way, you don't think it's going to hit. So we've been in shelters so many times and that, you know, so you don't in my mind, I'm thinking I'm just in the shelter. I'm going to go back to my house, go back to sleep. It's not going to be a big deal when I wake up in the morning, will drive around and it's just going to be normal.

00;30;30;20 - 00;30;51;28

Speaker 2

That was not the case this time. So as soon as I woke up like Dr. Carson, I drove around and then immediately called our Maceo and then our equipment manager and said that you have to come right now. And so we're only our our headquarters is only 40 minutes from Armory. So as soon as I made that phone call, they were in.

00;30;52;00 - 00;31;13;20

Speaker 1

It's that's really quite remarkable seeing folks. You know, there's this is the spirit of a lot of people in this country. And that's why I did this today. We've got another segment we're going to do in a minute. But, you know, we hear all of this negativity out there and all this bad news. And here you've got a group of people that are, you know, 30,000 people on an email list, seriously.

00;31;13;25 - 00;31;34;16

Speaker 1

And they and they're there the next day as the sun coming up, going in to help clean up and remove debris, give people basic services. That's what they do. I think it's important for us to remember as Americans, some of the things that we do that are that are really quite remarkable and this is remarkable. The ministry is called Eight Days of Hope.

00;31;34;21 - 00;31;55;19

Speaker 1

The website is eight. You have to spell it, eight days of hope dot com if you want to go up on their website. The phone number 66284469 30 466284469 34. When we come back from the break, we'll wrap it up. Stay tuned. We've got more right here on America's Healthcare Advocate. We'll be right back with more. Welcome back.

00;31;55;19 - 00;32;14;22

Speaker 1

You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocates Show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA. If you want to learn more about us, you can go to one of the podcast platforms all the shows are posted up there also on YouTube. So SoundCloud, Apple, Google, know all of them. Spreaker Odyssey, We're on 14 platforms plus YouTube. This show will be posted up there.

00;32;14;22 - 00;32;29;23

Speaker 1

If you want to tell somebody about this ministry, maybe your church wants to get involved. Well, go and watch the podcast. You know, all the shows are videotaped and posted up there. If you want to reach out to me, go to the website of America's Healthcare Advocate dot com. My producer, Mr. Jared Wilhite. I'm your host Kari Hall.

00;32;29;28 - 00;32;50;11

Speaker 1

Joining me, Chandler Curry Dr. Phil Carson from Amory, Mississippi. We're talking about what happened there when a massive tornado went through that town and basically wiped the town out. And this happens to be where the Chandler and Dr. Carson live. And this and she is the director of Eight Days of Hope. So we're talking about what they do and how they do it.

00;32;50;19 - 00;33;13;16

Speaker 1

Their website is eight spell the word eight days of Hope dot com if you want to get involved. The phone number 6628446934. Chandler so you how long were you guys there in Emery and and you know how long you deployed were you guys there for a week. Two weeks that you I know you were there more than eight days.

00;33;13;16 - 00;33;44;00

Speaker 2

Yeah, we were. We were there for three weeks. Three weeks total. So a typical deployment of rapid response is two weeks. And then depending on the devastation, will extend. Our largest deployment has been non weeks after Hurricane Harvey that hit in 2017, Houston, Texas. And so we like Dr. Carson has said this whole time, the amount of devastation was unreal that we knew as soon as we drove through that first day, we knew this was going to be weeks a week long deployment.

00;33;44;03 - 00;34;06;12

Speaker 1

You know, I have to ask you, because you lived this, do you find it amazing how people will step up to the plate? How people will come up and ordinary people will come up and and take their time, their money, their equipment, their trucks, their whatever, and come in. And I listen to this. And to me, this is a message.

00;34;06;15 - 00;34;25;12

Speaker 1

This is a message of hope. I mean, in your your ministries, eight days of hope. But when I hear this and I you know, it makes me think of the goodness in people and the willingness of people which which we don't talk a lot about in this country. We talk a lot about all the other stuff. Okay? All the stuff they get you to go on Facebook or Twitter or whatever.

00;34;25;18 - 00;34;32;10

Speaker 1

This is not the kind of thing that we talk a lot about. And there's a lot of this that goes on like your ministry that nobody knows anything about.

00;34;32;10 - 00;34;55;01

Speaker 2

Oh, sure. I mean, that's the thing that amazes me. Every single trip. It never gets old to see who God brings to serve. That never gets old. And the people that come, they don't want anything in return. It's they're not looking for a pat on the back. They're not looking for recognition. They're just showing simply because someone is in need and needs help and you're not.

00;34;55;01 - 00;34;56;05

Speaker 1

Think it's amazing we don't.

00;34;56;05 - 00;34;57;10

Speaker 2

Talk about it enough.

00;34;57;14 - 00;35;16;03

Speaker 1

No, we know that. That's why I wanted to do this today, because we don't. I have to ask you, you know, first of all, what are your plans? We've got about 4 minutes left here. What are your plans moving forward? You know, what's your ministry going to do? Are you doing an expansion of any kind of the services and what are you looking for people to do?

00;35;16;04 - 00;35;17;18

Speaker 1

Yeah, let's talk about.

00;35;17;18 - 00;35;36;13

Speaker 2

That. So, Mary, we're hoping so. We have multiple arms of eight days of hope. So we have a rapid response arm, a rebuilding arm, a safe house, construction arm and a mass feeding arm. So we've already done rapid response in Armory. Our hope and prayer is that we're going to do a rebuild in Amory. We have not had the first meeting about it yet.

00;35;36;16 - 00;35;55;06

Speaker 2

So that's an ask for you believers. Listen. Listening. Today, if you're a prayer warrior, pray that we can get that meeting and hopefully be able to bring. So the difference between rapid response and rebuilding is we're just doing recovery. They are not there. Response making sure the House safe, sanitary and secure the rebuilding arm. It takes about three months to plan.

00;35;55;06 - 00;36;14;12

Speaker 2

And we come in with thousands of volunteers for eight days so we don't extend past eight days. It's an eight day long event. We just finished one two weeks ago in Fort Myers, Florida, after Hurricane Ian. We had 1200 volunteers come for eight days and we helped rebuild 102 homes in those eight days.

00;36;14;16 - 00;36;16;20

Speaker 1

That is amazing. That's amazing.

00;36;16;20 - 00;36;39;24

Speaker 2

That's what we want to do for. Right. So our hope and prayers that that happens. Amory, among your county and I am biased because is where we're from has already made huge, huge headway with the recovery. I mean, when you drive around, the landscape is totally different. It is heartbreaking, but there are so many homes getting back on their feet quickly so they might not need a massive rebuild like we've done in other hurricane ridden areas.

00;36;40;01 - 00;37;02;19

Speaker 2

So we're hoping that we can do a rebuild sometime in the fall or early next year. Currently, we're planning our next thing was another another Amen Ministries or Safe House Construction Ministry, where we go in, we bring skilled volunteers only and they we go safe houses for women and children rescued from sex trafficking. So we start that next month.

00;37;02;19 - 00;37;23;26

Speaker 2

And Ohio is going to be a year long beard. We're going to do two weeks on two, all for the next year. We're building a campus for 14 year olds to 18 year olds that have been sold and trafficked to come and find prayerfully salvation and hope and healing. So that's a huge ask.

00;37;23;28 - 00;37;28;24

Speaker 1

And it is a huge ask. And I assume you're looking for donations there and you're looking for help.

00;37;28;27 - 00;37;29;14

Speaker 2

Yes, sir.

00;37;29;15 - 00;37;56;09

Speaker 1

So. So so I'm making the ask now. Okay. If you're watching this, you're listing this. If you want to help these folks, the website is eight Days of Hope dot com. Spell it eight days. So it's spelled out the word eight eight days of okay or 6628446934. You know I want to thank you both Dr. Carson, thank you for connecting us with these folks because you're the ones that brought him to us and channel and we thank you very much.

00;37;56;09 - 00;38;18;24

Speaker 1

I want to have you come back on once this your facility in Ohio is done. Let's come back on and do another broadcast and talk about that because this trafficking thing is completely out of hand and a lot of this is coming up out of Mexico, across the border. These these these young people are being abused horrendously. And it that's that's a that's a that's an area of great need.

00;38;18;24 - 00;38;33;16

Speaker 1

And if you all are stepping into that, then we would like to try to help you be successful of that and see what we could do to help you both. Thank you both for coming on today. I really appreciate the fact that you were here and I think your message is going to resonate with our audience and what you do.

00;38;33;22 - 00;38;53;17

Speaker 1

It's a wonderful ministry and it's basic stuff, folks. I mean, that's what they do. They come in right after the disaster happens. They're helping you wash your clothes, They're feeding, they're getting people showers, are doing things that are very, very basic, that need to be done that a lot of times we don't think about. And you heard her say FEMA comes in 5 to 7 days later.

00;38;53;21 - 00;39;08;07

Speaker 1

Well, what do you do for the next seven days? Right. The first five or 6 to 7 days. So that's what they do. They come in and they fill the gap and they stay. They coordinate. They do all of it. So once again, thank you all for being on the website. Is eight spell the word eight days of hope dot com.

00;39;08;07 - 00;39;23;23

Speaker 1

If you want to get involved, help out or just donate Maybe you want to get involved the situation with Ohio of they'd be happy to help you and now ladies and gentlemen I leave you with this stop from Dr. Martin Luther King. Americans must learn to live together as brothers and sisters are. We will surely perish together as fools.

00;39;23;25 - 00;41;48;22

Speaker 1

Sure, words were never spoken. And this is a demonstration today of people living together, working together and helping each other. Thank you for listening to America's Healthcare Advocate. Good bye, America. And.