We would like to thank the All Hand Volunteers for their dedication to Bogalusa and our area of the nation. We’re grateful volunteers have come from all over the world to help local homeowners gut their homes and tear out dangerous, ruined building material.

This is hard work, and it’s not easily accomplished alone. But, thanks to a dedicated team of outsiders, over 100 homes have been cleared of wreckage.

We would also like to challenge members of our community to pitch in and lend a hand. Volunteering is free, it’s painless and it doesn’t have to take more than a day of your time — and it can be done Tuesday through Sunday. There are a lot of folks who say they want to improve the town, and here is a good way to start.

Of course, removing drywall isn’t for everyone. It is hard work, but it is not the only way to help the volunteers. The group needs volunteer and it needs cash. So, if you can afford to donate a few dollars — or more — to the group, or if you can afford to buy dinner for the volunteers, please consider doing so.

We know many churches have already stepped up and have donated dinners. Of course, ESM United Methodist Church has also donated space and food to the volunteers, and we would like to thank all of them.

The flood hit everyone in the area, whether directly or indirectly. To a flood, all people and all homes are equal. The best way to move forward now is to remember that lesson and work together.