She’d dedicated her life in service to others, working homeless shelters throughout the city of Houston. Carrione could not anticipate the day that she would be joining them, her home ravaged by 4′ of floodwater. She spent 2 days across the street on the second floor of a neighbor’s home. She was joined by many, some elderly and wheelchair bound. Rescue boats finally arrived to take them to higher ground. The ordeal had just begun for she and thousands more. 3 months living in a motel, void of her possessions, her cars, her home. Nothing left but resolve, starting from scratch. She welcomed us with prayers of thanks, grateful not to be forgotten in the haze of catastrophe. Her recovery was our recovery, a common bond of working together to pick up the pieces if shattered lives. Our task involved more than gutting walls and hauling debris. It was about listening, supporting, and giving a glimpse of hope to a saint of a lady who was tired of waiting, and waiting, and waiting again. We are all in recovery from something. To be human is to experience it, and to live in the Solution found in listening, in supporting, in offering a glimpse of hope. The men of Solutions did that and more during thier time in Houston. A long drive indeed, but maybe we caught the end of the rainbow.
-Dan R.
