Turnpike Safety Team Member Helps Hurricane Victims in Florida

No, Steve MacLean isn’t one of the Property Brothers, and home repair doesn’t come up very often in his job on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Safety Team.

But MacLean spent his vacation the week after Thanksgiving helping to repair the homes of Floridians devasted by Hurricane Helene’s massive flooding.

“We worked mostly in a trailer park, and when we first got there, it looked fine, like nothing happened,” MacLean said. “But inside the houses, you realize the devastation.”

MacLean went to that neighborhood in New Port Richie Nov. 30 to Dec. 7 as part of a mission with Christ in Action, an organization that lends a helping hand with disaster relief efforts around the country. This was MacLean’s first trip, and after the experience, it’s likely not his last.

He spent most of his time ripping out cabinets, countertops, sinks, waterlogged furniture, damaged floors, and even saturated walls.

“I was definitely outside of my comfort zone,” MacLean said.

But the trip was about more than gutting the ruins of homes to prepare them for renovation. It was about the people. In his week there, he found these folks who survived the hurricane and have dealt with its aftermath for months weren’t so much concerned about ruined refrigerators and recliners. MacLean and his team always took time to let the residents find their family photos that could be salvaged, the grandkid’s drawings, the memories –- fragments of a life wrecked by a natural disaster.

But another thing he noticed is those lives weren’t really wrecked. Their homes and belongings were, that’s for sure, and hope was lost at some points, but MacLean saw many bright spots on their path to recovery, like the friendly neighbors who would stop by each day to say “hello” and share their stories.  He was particularly struck by a woman named Dawn, who just couldn’t get over the great volunteer work they were doing.   

“She was surprised that we would take our vacation time to help her,” MacLean said. “That was a common theme.”

It was a lot of hard work and long days, gutting about six or seven homes in a week – a part of the continuing work of the organization that has helped with 120 homes so far.

“It was amazing feeling. I was happy to be there,” MacLean said. “It was kind of surreal and I had a moment of realization – ‘I’m actually helping these people.’  But this trip was never about me. It was about a greater purpose.”

And for MacLean, it’s not just about helping people -- it’s also about growth.

“It’s good to get out of your comfort zone,” MacLean said. “If you stay in your comfort zone, you don’t grow and learn.”

Gutting houses might not be your thing, but there’s something for everyone and there’s always a way to lend a hand, he added.

Pictured below, Steve MacLean (masked) doesn’t normally gut flood-damaged homes like this, but that’s how he spent his vacation earlier this month, helping Hurricane Helene victims in Florida. 

By Steve Marroni, PA Turnpike Communications Specialist