The Floyd Connection
STORY BY DOLORES SMITH
On the evening of September 27, Bill St. Pierre sat in his home in Floyd, VA, transfixed by what he was watching unfold on the television screen in front of him—what appeared to look and feel like the imminent destruction of an enormous piece of his neighboring state of North Carolina.
Across town, on the other side of Floyd, Sam Calhoun, someone with deep ties to the High Country, also watched in horror as the wind, rain, and mud threatened to devastate huge swaths of Western North Carolina.
As it happened, Sam Calhoun, whose profession is organizing and producing, and Bill St. Pierre, whose profession is moving earth, are friends and professional colleagues, and the collaboration that ensued helped to feed, clothe, warm, and provide safety and comfort to untold numbers of Western North Carolina residents.
The first High Country resident that Bill St. Pierre was made aware of who needed help was Angela King. “I went to Angela’s home over off Deerfield and cleared all of the mud that had pushed through her carport and all the way up her kitchen door and steps, and then into the house. But to be honest, although I knew that I could excavate the mud, trees,
and debris, I still thought, ‘This house is a total knockdown.’“ Bill and his colleague, Matthew Thomas, got to work clearing the muck and debris and in about two hours they had cleared the home’s exterior of the damage nature had wrought. Yet, he still left the home with a heavy heart, feeling that the rest of the damage to the home was beyond repair.
When the storm struck, Angela could not get over the shock of the extent of the damage and destruction to her property. “When it happened, I just couldn’t see the light for the trees, let alone dream of what tomorrow would look like. After Bill and his friend cleared away the muck and debris, I could finally see that there was definitely a path back to normal, again,” she said.
Today, the King family's home stands as a testament to what can be accomplished through the extraordinary efforts of neighbors and community, which also included the help of Samaritan’s Purse, Acts of Mercy, Jay Adams of Eaglewood Construction (who handled interior mud removal) and numerous other local volunteer organizations who provided support to the effort.
Kerry Hines's family home, and that of her nearby in-laws, suffered extensive damage to the grounds. The
When it happened I just couldn’t see the light for the trees, let alone dream of what tomorrow would look like. After Bill and his friend cleared away the muck and debris I could finally see that there was definitely a path back to normal, again.
- ANGELA KING
driveway became impassable and with a young baby at home, access to the road was not optional. While she and her family were able to stay at a local hotel that provided complimentary rooms to the relief volunteers, and to some affected residents, the driveway and roadway to both properties clearly needed repair. And these two families were two of the first to benefit from Bill’s efforts. “I was so grateful and surprised when someone reached out to me and told me that help was on the way if we needed it, and I told her that we did and that we very much appreciated it!”
Over six weeks, Sam and his colleagues organized and delivered over 15,000 pounds of relief supplies to North Carolina’s High Country, including scarce and precious commodities such as kerosene, chain saws, and heating equipment, along with non-perishable foods, diapers, clothing, and even children’s toys and games, at times making two and three trips in one day from Floyd to Banner Elk and Boone, and back. Sam
recently returned November 8-9, bringing additional supplies and providing cleanup.
Bill has also returned repeatedly, including as recently as press time for this story, shoring up residents’ driveways, retaining walls, and creek banks, providing hope to so many, along with the comfort of knowing that things can be, and will be “OK” again.
Many if not most recipients of the help received from these two professional colleagues and friends, may not have realized, and may never know, or become aware that Bill St. Pierre and Sam Calhoun, along with their colleagues volunteered 100% of their time and effort. And as far as Sam, Bill, and the other volunteers are concerned, that’s just fine, because what’s important to them is seeing the light in someone’s eyes when they realize that the road to recovery will now be just a little bit easier and maybe a lot less stressful. When asked what motivated them to react with such enthusiasm Sam Calhoun replied, “We didn’t think twice. How could anyone
in a position to help think twice? These are my people.” And as for Bill’s newfound love of the High Country, he remarked, “These are my people now, too. And they are some really, really great people.” t
