A Return to Sabine Pass, TX

In early December 2005, just after beginning our current RV venture, we delivered emergency care products from our church in VA to Sabine Pass. We also helped with the cleanup and recovery efforts for a week, as the town had been practically wiped out by Hurricane Rita. Now while warranty work was being done on our Airstream at a dealership in Buda, TX, we returned to Sabine Pass to see the recovery progress and visit friends we had met on our first trip. As we drove through the refineries toward Sabine Pass the odor told us that the refineries had definitely reopened, and the pick-up truck traffic let us know how busy they were. The first building we noticed on entry to Sabine was the new firehouse built by “Extreme Makeover.” In 2005 that site was a mountain of appliances that had been removed from the destroyed homes. The huge tanks that had been blown into town had been removed along with the barges that had floated into the front yards of the residents. Be sure to go back to our Blog photos in December 2005 to experience the full effect of the devastation.

It was a thrill to see Tammie’s Olde Tyme Diner open and busy. We had a delicious lunch there both days that we were in town. We were pleased that our 2005 paint job was serving as a backdrop for all the new furnishings. Rev. Dale Martin was overseeing the rebuilding of the Community Fellowship Church (Baptist). The old church had literally been broken in half by the hurricane. The Texas Baptist Men and their wives were present in full force. The women were sewing curtains for an agency in nearby Port Arthur, and the men were installing the trusses for the church (PTL). The Baptist Emergency Team of Texas were busy providing meals for the other volunteer,

We were pleased to see that Richard and Sharon, a couple we had helped in 2005, had their rental apartments practically built, and three were already occupied. They are also building a single dwelling home that will be available for rent soon. Renters are typically transient oil rig workers who need housing. All new structures must be 8-13 feet off the ground depending on location.

Kristi Heid, the school’s principal is to be commended for how well she and her staff managed the disbursements of tons of donated items and the dispatching of volunteers like us where help was needed. She gave us a DVD which depicted the powerful, overwhelming crush Hurricane Rita had given Sabine Pass. The school was spared major damage except for the theatre. Theatre is a major activity in Sabine. Rita had truly done a number on the interior and the roof of the building, but the “Extreme Makeover” crew tackled the renovation with a passion. It is now restored and more beautiful than before.

We also visited Kitty Key, the pastor of the United Methodist Church. The church now has a new roof and is in the process of building a new parsonage. Some of their support came as a result of Gloria’s relating the utter destruction of homes, businesses, and churches in a telephone conversation with her sister, Laurane, in Leipsic, Ohio. Laurane’s church, Leipsic United Methodist, responded with money and a crew to help with rebuilding several homes in the area. The pastor, Mary Buchong, and a team of12 workers, drove from northern Ohio to Sabine Pass, Texas, to give of their time and talents to help people they did not know. She and Kitty Key now correspond frequently.

There has been a lot of progress in Sabine Pass since Rita’s unwelcome visit. While they still have a long way to go, the people of this small town are resilient, tenacious survivors. We left Sabine wondering when we would be this way again. We have made many friends and have been truly blessed for having the privilege of knowing and helping people in need.