Super volunteers
Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 4:12 PM by Sam Singal
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
It looks like the hurricane hit yesterday. Those were the words of NBC Producer Al Henkel in describing the small Texas community of San Leon, torn apart last September by Hurricane Ike. I was surprised to hear it. I'd been back to Galveston a few times since the storm and the rebuilding -- while far from complete -- was well on its way. But San Leon is different. Front yards are still littered with broken appliances and water damaged furniture. Large families are crammed into FEMA trailers alongside homes where the clean-up has yet to begin.
It was the kind of neighborhood Monty and Susan Scales were looking for. The Indiana couple sat in front of their television, almost four years ago now, looking at the devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. People are often moved to help after a tragedy, and they were no different. They picked up a used camper and headed down to Mississippi. Both had backgrounds in construction and were determined to put that experience to use. After a few weeks it was apparent to them both, they wouldn't be going back to the Hoosier state.
After three years in the Katrina zone, they moved to Texas last year. Monty says they look for families who've fallen through the cracks, who -- for whatever reason -- are having trouble getting help. The couple do everything from helping these folks apply for federal aid to rewiring their kitchens. The hours are long, the pay is in hugs.. and they wouldn't trade it for the world. We'll introduce you to Monty and Susan and give you a look at their extraordinary labor of love, tonight on Nightly News.
you can learn more about Susan and Monty on their blog
