I went out to the Escobar house in Port Lavaca Saturday and was there for about three hours.  That three hours went by very fast and I came away with a real perspective of time and what can be done with even the smallest amount.

When I got there everyone was doing something.  I got there at about 12:45 p.m. and volunteers started working at 8 a.m. that morning.  Much had already changed since I’d been there the day before.  When I arrived the group in the front of the house had already broken up the cement walkway and were bulldozing.  In the back of the house there was a group working on siding, a group working on eves, a man mixing cement, and a group of volunteers digging post holes.  I walked up to the owner of South Texas Fence and Deck Restoration, Phillip Johns, who was working on placing the first post of the new privacy fence being installed in the Escobar’s back yard.  I asked him what I could do and he told me to go grab a spray paint can.  He then had me mark post positions.  Once that was complete I moved on to help a man who was mixing cement for the posts.  As we talked he told me he’d just finished an extended shift on his job and asked that I bear with him as he was ‘moving slow’ to which I laughed because he wasn’t slow at all.  And I was moved to hear he’d come straight from his job to help volunteer when he could have easily called it a day.  After helping with the cement mixing I went on in to the house to help remove the old flooring in the house which was almost complete.  The flooring was the old style wood flooring and it took some effort getting those boards up but it got done.  Then I moved out to the side of the house to help remove the dirt left over from digging the post holes.  By that time it was a little after four and I needed to get back home.  I really didn’t want to leave and felt like I hadn’t even been there that long.  It flew by.  When I first went out I wondered what I would be able to do but as soon as I got there I quickly realized there really was a job for anyone and everyone.  It was great to see what all could be accomplished in such a short time.

 

I looked around and amongst the sounds of drills, hammering, and front end loaders I spotted a ladybug perched on a blade of grass reminding me that spring is here and spring is the season that is associated with rebirth and renewal.  I thought that was fitting for the project that is underway at the Escobar house.  And especially that the finished product will be presented on Good Friday, right before Easter.

There are still opportunities to volunteer your time this week as they begin to wrap everything up.  Monday through Wednesday will be volunteer days for skilled carpenters, but general help is greatly needed Thursday and Friday.  Volunteers will work through the night Thursday on in to Friday as this will be the last hours before the reveal.  The home will be revealed to Robert Escobar and his wife, Dora at 5 p.m. Friday.     If you’d like to volunteer simply print out the waiver form at http://www.faithfamilyvictoria.com/am_cms_media/pe-release-form.pdf .  Sign it and bring it to 2011 Justice St. in Port Lavaca at 8 a.m. Thursday or Friday.

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