The following story first appeared in the Summer 2000 Glenmary Challenge.
For a free copy of the next issue

Making the Most of the Mess
A Second Flood in Three Years Brings Floodproofing and a New House for Volunteers to the Glenmary Farm
by Jean Bach

Brother Virgil Siefker sorts through the mud in his living quarters in search of personal belongings. Photo by Jean Bach

Three years ago, the Glenmary Farm in Vanceburg, Ky., suffered heavy flood damage from what was called a “once-in-a-hundred-years flood.” Last February, the Kinniconick Creek, which flows through the Farm, beat the odds and once again left its banks causing more damage to the Vanceburg property and buildings than three years ago.

Six feet of water rose in the Staff House; seven feet in the Farm House. There were no volunteers on site the evening of Feb. 18, but Brother Virgil Siefker, director of the Farm, was there. With only hours notice, he managed to move some large pieces of equipment to higher ground before the flood waters reached the Farm. Unfortunately, not much else could be saved.

This flash flood, according to local officials, was the result of a freak weather system moving over Lewis County. Much of the flooding, therefore, was localized, unlike the flooding in 1997. The Farm and its neighbors along the creek were hardest hit.

In addition to water damage to Farm buildings (which had only recently been completely restored from the 1997 flood), all contents were damaged or ruined.

Amid all the chaos following the flood, the Farm’s volunteer program continued without interruption. Volunteers are staying at the Christian Community Center in Vanceburg until eating and sleeping accommodations are available again at the Farm.

Glenmary intends to totally rebuild and improve Farm buildings so that, if flooded again, any damage will be minimal. Dave Kreher, former Farm volunteer and now head of People’s Self-Help Housing in Vanceburg, is heading up the construction project which includes:

•A new two-story Volunteer House with sleeping and eating space for 40. The ground level will be designated the dorm area and constructed so that any future flood waters can pass through specially constructed doors and windows. All heating, electric, appliances and furniture will be located on the second level.

•A Staff House that is improved—and elevated! The present building will be jacked up at least eight feet, resting on posts. It will also be remodeled to provide more adequate accommodations for Farm managers as well as for guests.

•A Farm House put to new use. This old log structure, on the 56 acres when Glenmary bought it in 1972, will not tolerate being jacked up to a higher level. But a concrete floor will replace the wooden one, and the space will be converted to a multipurpose/meeting room. One area will be transformed into a long dreamed-of prayer/reflection room.

Ground has been broken and construction begun on the Volunteer House. Planners say it will be ready by mid-summer.

According to Bob Knueven, director of Glenmary’s Finance Office, some insurance money will be received, but it will not nearly cover the costs of repair, replacement, floodproofing and a new building.

Despite the costs, president Father Jerry Dorn says Glenmary is committed to the Farm—its current location, its meaning and its programs. “The Farm is just too important to too many people across the country and in Lewis County,” he says. He points to unsolicited offers of help and financial assistance—both from the Vanceburg area and across the nation—as proof of the place that the Farm holds in the hearts of many.

Brother Virgil, too, attests to many “random acts of kindness.” For instance, a delivery truck driver, who passed the Farm and saw the cleanup in process, stopped and made a donation for “all the good work you do here at the Catholic Camp.” Another donation was dropped off at the adult daycare center where Farm volunteers provide regular service.

Many in Lewis County are grateful for the good things “the Catholic Camp” does for the community. The Farm puts Catholics out in the community, a different group every other week. In this county, where only .04 percent of the population is Catholic, local residents now associate Catholics with helping and reaching out and service. That’s “thanks to the Farm,” says Providence Sister Joseph Fillenwarth, Glenmary’s lay pastoral coordinator at Holy Redeemer in Vanceburg, the only Catholic Church in the county.

Some of the volunteers who arrived shortly after the flood added flood cleanup to their regular round of community service. The group from South Dakota State University in Brookings wrote that they were pleased to help with the aftermath of the flood. “It was a blessing,” they said in a letter following their trip. “Our bulletin board is full of pictures from Kentucky.”

Another group from St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green, Ohio, wrote, “The volunteer experience is a rewarding time in our lives, and the Glenmary experience will live on in our hearts forever.”