Team Rubicon and AmeriCorps NCCC team-up in Detroit flood cleanup efforts

Betty Berry, 80, of Dearborn, didn’t know where to turn when her basement flooded on Aug. 11.

Around 24 inches of water from a sewer backup soaked a lifetime of items and Berry had no means to remove them. A heavy stench poured from her basement and she worried for her health.

Team Rubicon, a four-year-old nonprofit volunteer organization composed of military veterans and first responders that specializes in disaster relief, came to the rescue.

While many residents in Southeast Michigan managed to clean up their basements and start the recovery process after the flood, Team Rubicon set out to assist those who had a lack of resources to remove damp belongings, eliminate pungent smells and remove moldy drywall and paneling.

“Helping others helps us,” said administrator Bob Pries, 64, of Farmington Hills. “Veterans come together along with emergency first responders. We have a sense of mission, a sense of purpose, a sense of camaraderie. We execute together and help others and give back to the community and it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Dearborn Police Department Lt. Ron Beggs, a Team Rubicon volunteer, served as a liaison between Team Rubicon and the city of Dearborn, helping bring the team to the area. With the need growing every day, Team Rubicon found 37 residents in the most desperate need and had volunteers put in more than 2,000 hours to help out.

When the group realized it was a bit short staffed and in need of more volunteers, the Michigan Community Service Commission, the state’s lead agency on volunteerism, organized a group of 10 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members, who jumped in to help residents complete many labor-intensive cleanup jobs.

“I sometimes judge people on whether or not I’d go to combat with them. I’d take these kids in a heartbeat,” Pries said. “These young adults never quit. They came in ready to work and ready to get the job done safely. We would not have been able to execute without them.”

AmeriCorps NCCC team leader Julia Valdivia, 23, of Maryland, said while cleaning up after the flood was a serious and emotional time, Team Rubicon was able to keep the mood light as they headed it to “battle” each day cleaning up basements.

“They helped us keep a positive attitude during a lot of hard work,” Valdivia said. “They made a very difficult situation into a lot of fun.”

Berry said she thanked God for the volunteer help.

“There are no words to express the thanks I have. It’s unbelievable there are such good people in the world,” Berry said. “I thanked God for them and I appreciate everything they are doing.”

Team Rubicon and AmeriCorps NCCC also came to the rescue for Alex Moslimani, of Dearborn, who estimated he had $80,000 worth of damage. His children were living in his basement that filled up with nearly three feet of water. He had worked tirelessly for days in efforts to clean up the mess, but couldn’t do it all himself. Team Rubicon and AmeriCorps NCCC helped him complete the massive cleanup job.

“What these guys have done is a miracle. They came in on a white horse,” Moslimani said. “What these people are doing is remarkable.”