I was first introduced to GoServ Global at a mini home show in Colfax, Iowa in the fall of 2017. GoServ had a Sukup Safe T Home® set up, so I started asking questions and took some information.
When I retired in January of 2018, I contacted Paul at GoServ Global to tell him I was interested in doing some volunteer work, so he invited me in for an interview. During our discussion the topic of safety came up since my former job was a safety coordinator. By the end of my visit I had become the “Safety Director”of GoServ Global.
While I was there, we also did an online chat with Dennis Anderson, who was in Dallas working on some flooded-out houses. It was determined that it would be a good idea for me to go to Dallas to see how the Disaster Relief group operated.
Joel and Linda Zwiefel were planning a trip down there in February so they were kind enough to provide me with transportation there and back. I was in my element when I was able to construct a built-in cabinet in one of the houses.
Back home, I was able to assist Dennis constructing (and tearing down) a few Safe T Homes® for different shows in Iowa.
Then came the floods of Iowa in July 2018. Working with Dennis and different crews, we helped move appliances and other things from flooded basements.
We finally landed at a house in Des Moines that had 36 inches of water on their main floor. With the help of various crews, we gutted most of the house and started insulating and dry walling. My wife Juanita and I made many trips there to work on various aspects of the reconstruction. It finally reached a point where the family could see the light at the end of the tunnel and took over the project themselves.
At one of our visits to the house, (the wife) Yolanda asked my wife and I how she could ever repay us. We told her to just “Pay it forward” when they were back on their feet. At Christmas this past year, they did just that. Instead of buying presents for themselves, they bought presents for people less fortunate.
Also, during the time of the floods, the tornadoes hit central Iowa. GoServ Global to the rescue. My wife and I spent a few days assisting this very professional group of volunteers clearing trees from the streets and from houses.
I will try to assist GoServ Global whenever possible. I would like to get involved with the construction of a Safe T Home® out of country sometime. My wife and I are already involved with mission work through our local church. In fact we will be going back to Africa for the third time this summer and back to Red Bird Mission in Kentucky for the third time.
