By Chelsea Royer
The New Year invited record setting measures of rain, bringing with it disaster and difficulties. Between flooding, landslides, and the destruction of homes, the damage in Grays Harbor has been extensive. For the patients at Pacific Care Rehabilitation Center, they not only faced the trauma of natural disasters, they also faced homelessness.
Forced to evacuate and leave all of their possessions behind, the displaced patients made it out with medical charts and medication and not so much as a toothbrush more. Despite how it sounds, Jill Bellis of Channel Point Village in Hoquiam insists this was actually quite an impressive action on the part of the Pacific Care staff, who were quick and careful in their responding.
Jill was presented with 13 of the 67 elderly Pacific Care patients who were confused, saddened, and without any of their personal items. Channel Point residents live a bit more independently in apartments, so it was unprepared for the wave of high-need residents that arrived at its doors. “We didn’t have beds or even toiletries for these residents,” explains Jill. “We were in desperate need of the most basic of items.”
Jill made the need known to the community via social media and the outpour was incredible. “It was unbelievable,” says Jill. “The community rallied and provided towels, pillows, blankets…gift bags of shampoos and soaps. I have no room left in my office.”
Not the least to respond were the Grays Harbor PUD “Transformers” led by Alice King. Upon hearing the plight of so many residents, Alice took up a collection from employees. She also visited the dental offices of Drs. Jeff Lemon, Ron Cowles and Marc Tomlinson to get oral hygiene products. The monetary donations purchased care packages of needed toiletries, socks and slippers. Many other contributors called Jill directly as they drove to purchase pillows and laundry soap.
“The needs have been met,” Jill happily reported. In fact, there is a surplus of donations that will be going into a fund for later needs yet to be determined – nothing will go to waste.
By day two, residents were reunited with their possessions, but the journey is just beginning. With local care facilities full to the maximum, the residents of the Pacific Care Center are being relocated to Olympia until their former building has been cleaned and repaired. This could take many weeks depending on damages.
While their struggle is far from over, their immediate needs have been met and their hearts cared for by the giving hands of friends and strangers. Each resident will leave town with a bag full of items donated to them by their community. Instead of focusing on their own problems, which after the storm are many, Grays Harbor locals are looking outward and meeting one anothers needs as a team.
