Above, Chris Pierce, left, Jonathon Voss, right, and Kurt Anderson accompanied the group on their trip. (Courtesy photos)

BILOXI, Miss. — A group of volunteers from the local Hub Cluster Disaster Relief Team recently traveled to Biloxi, Miss., to lend a hand to those still putting their lives back together after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the southern states.

The team represents eight area Methodist churches, including Rochelle, Steward, Creston, Ashton, Franklin Grove and Esmond. The trip, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 3, was the group’s fifth down to Mississippi to help rebuild homes the storm demolished.

Even after more than 4 years since Katrina hit, Hub Cluster Disaster Relief team member Bill Vanstone said there still is plenty of work to be done.

“Many people are still not back in their homes,” he said. “The owners of the home we insulated are still living in a FEMA trailer. We have developed relationships with so many people in Biloxi, it feels like going home. We love visiting with the owners of the homes we have worked on over the past 4 years. They are like old friends.”

Three area young men also accompanied the team on their trip after receiving scholarship funds to pay for their lodging and travel expanses from Rochelle resident Georgia Paddock; Northern Illinois University sophomore Chris Pierce, NIU freshman Kurt Anderson and Ashton-Franklin Center High School senior Jonathon Voss.

During the trip, the Hub Cluster group attended Biloxi St. Paul United Methodist Church, participated in training and worked on four homes in the area.

“We cleaned lots that were full of brick, storm debris and overgrown habitat causing rodent infestation to the neighborhood,” Vanstone said. “Neighbors were very appreciative of this effort.”

He added that during the trip, the group also put up roof trusses, helped prepare a new home by cleaning, caulking and painting, installed insulation, flooring and dry wall taping, put decking on roof of newly built home, installed hurricane straps and new windows and also finished clean-up of homes.

For more information about the group, visit www.hubcluster.org.