By Mike Stoll

Some of the readers of the Port Arthur News may have noticed that my name is new to the paper. Those same readers may also notice that my name will not appear after this paper. I am one of several reporters who have come from elsewhere to Port Arthur to assist the staff of the Port Arthur News in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. We have rotated two week shifts and my shift ended Saturday and on Sunday, I board a plane to take me home to Austin, Minnesota.

When I first arrived here on Oct. 15, I experienced the joy of driving in Port Arthur traffic on my way to the hotel. I’ve never been anywhere where the speed limit and stop signs are treated as suggestions and not actual laws, but I can scratch that off my bucket list now.

When I arrived at the hotel, I could have sworn it was abandoned. Sitting outside were piles of furniture and carpet, casualties of the floodwaters. Upon entering the hotel, it was impossible to avoid the musty smell of drying sheetrock and insulation. Lining the first floor corridors were floor fans running non-stop. It was then that the severity of the situation began to kick in.

The next day I set out on what would become one of the most humbling experiences I’ve had. Simply driving around and seeing the piles of debris was eye-opening. As far as articles went, I can count on one hand the number of articles I wrote in my brief time here that did not pertain to Harvey. There is still a great deal of sadness and despair here. I spoke to people still in desperate need of help, whether from FEMA or the local government. There were individuals, too many to count, who lost everything. What most of us take for granted, such as living in a house without mold or knowing where you will be sleeping tonight, was the cause of greatest concern for them.

But talking to these people made me realize why I was here. Sure, my main reason for being here was to help the Port Arthur News, but there was something else. These people, who had lost so much, wanted more than anything for their stories to be heard and for somebody to listen. I spoke to people who broke down while they told me their stories, but kept talking despite the pain they felt. I knew that I was in a position to get their voices heard, and now, as I prepare to leave Port Arthur, I can only hope I didn’t let them down.

But not all of the stories were sad. One thing I frequently heard during my stay was that the storm brought out the best in people. I got to talk to people and organizations that were providing help to storm victims, and once again I felt that sense of purpose because I was in a position to get that information out there. I spoke to a faith-based group offering physical and emotional aid, churches organizing clean-up efforts, and attended a fundraising cook-off where I stuffed myself with so much chili and gumbo that my belly button went from an innie to an outie. The community truly poured their heart into helping those in need.

But the story that really touched me more than anything was when I spoke to Reverend C.W. Crawford of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Orange. The church, like so many other buildings, suffered flood damage from the storm, but compounding the problem was the small congregation’s limited means. Reverend Crawford said that many of his parishioners were elderly and on welfare and food stamps. But despite this and the damage the building suffered, they still worked to help others by rebuilding, providing food and supplies and giving what they could. It reminded me of the New Testament story of the poor widow who gave two small coins, literally all she had, to the poor box at the Temple. Reverend Crawford and his church are the embodiment of that widow, giving despite their need.

What did I learn from this? This was more than a lesson in appreciating what you have; it was a call to give a little more and to show compassion to those in need. I could only hope that if my wife and I suffered the losses that I witnessed here, we would have neighbors like those here in Port Arthur.
So to Port Arthur, Nederland, Orange, Port Neches, Groves and all of the surrounding areas, I have this to say: You’re going to be okay. Continue to look out for each other, continue to help each other, and continue to be 409 Strong.

And seriously, stop at stop signs.

Michael Stoll can be reach at mike.stoll@austindailyherald.com