June 6, 2009

PLATTSBURGH – It was a beautiful Saturday morning on June 6 about 9:30 when 16 MOH volunteers got together in front of Edgewater Estates in Plattsburgh with rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows in hand. The objective of the project was to clean up the approximately 100 yards of beach front that was full of zebra mussels, drift wood, weeds and garbage.

Roger Patnode gave the initial directions and every one grouped off and got to work. It was striking how much it was like any project we might have worked on in Nicaragua: people of all ages (ranging from 12 to senior citizen) working side by side, some who knew each other before the project began and others who got to know each other as they worked, all working hard to achieve one common goal.

Like any true mission project there were obstacles to overcome: the beach is approximately 5 feet below the grade of the housing complex so we had to figure out a way to get the wheelbarrows full of debris up the bank; we were getting too much sand mixed in with the debris; how to get the debris across Route 9 while dodging traffic. One by one we all worked together to overcome the obstacles and get the beach clean in a very short 2 ½ hours. In the end, almost three truck loads of debris were carted away. In addition to the beach clean-up a group also helped with the planting of gardens around the complex.

Many members of the Edgewater Association came out to thank our group and provide very positive feedback on the job we were doing. They also provided refreshments which were very much appreciated and enjoyed. The short morning of hard work yielded a $600 donation to the North Country Mission of Hope.