BACK HOME AGAIN: Family moves in to first March2Recovery tornado relief house

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ANOTHER DEDICATION

On Sunday, Nov. 25, about a week before the nine-month anniversary of the March 2 tornadoes, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville will be celebrating the rededication of its church that was heavily damaged by the storm. The at 9 a.m. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Coyne. Following Mass, there will be an open house from 10 a.m. to noon.
Located at Ground Zero, next to Henryville High School, the church was one of the focal points of early efforts to reach out to the victims of the tornadoes. Since then, the parish bought and renovated the properties adjacent to the church. One houses the offices of the March2Recovery organization coordinating much of the recovery effort. The other property has a garage that houses a “work center” containing tools and supplies for the rebuilding efforts of the St. Francis Parish, Catholic Charities, and other groups in the area.
Also, on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 22, a group of volunteers coordinated by March2Recovery and supported by St. Francis will have a meal at 1 p.m. for the victims of the tornado. This will take place in the basement hall of St. Francis.

Related Photos

Pastor Jimmy Rodriguez of Immanuel Lutheran Church blesses the new Henryville home of Mario and Lisa Logsdon, standing with family in the background, Saturday afternoon. The home is the first March2Recovery volunteer built home. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Lisa Logsdon and her husband Mario Logsdon live in their new home with their daughter. The family lost all their belongings in the March tornado. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
The Logsdon home in Henryville. Staff photo by C.E. Branham

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November 18, 2012

BACK HOME AGAIN: Family moves in to first March2Recovery tornado relief house

By DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Sun Nov 18, 2012, 02:59 PM EST

OTISCO — After the March 2 tornado damaged the roof of their trailer to the point where the home wasn’t habitable, Lisa Logsdon didn’t know where her family would be able to turn for help.

Water leaked into the trailer to the point that mold infested the home, and the Logsdons didn’t have insurance to cover the expenses of repairing the damage.

Like so many people in Henryville, Otisco and Southern Indiana, the storm left the Logsdons with many questions but no answers.

Where federal assistance ended, local efforts bridged the gap.

The organization March2Recovery identified the Logsdons as one of hundreds of families in need of help. The volunteer group then partnered with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seymour not to simply repair the Logsdon’s trailer, but to build them a new house.

Dozens of volunteers aided in the mission, and by early September the house’s frame was raised on the same property where the Logsdons’ trailer had been damaged in the spring.

Lisa and her husband Mario Logsdon recently moved into the home with one of their daughters. On Saturday, the couple held a housewarming party and celebrated alongside the March2Recovery and church volunteers that built the home.

“I don’t know if everybody realizes how much any little thing you did made a huge difference in our lives,” Lisa Logsdon told the group of more than 25 people that gathered inside the family’s den. “I just could not believe how unselfish everybody was.”

If struggling with the hardship of losing a home isn’t tough enough, Mario is also battling colon cancer. He smiled and humbly said “it’s amazing” several times to the group as he looked around his new home.

The couple spoke of their gratitude to the volunteers and for the blessings they’ve received when times were bleak.

“It’s kind of renewed my faith a lot — in humans and in God,” Lisa Logsdon said.

Immanuel Lutheran Pastor Jimmy Rodriguez led a ceremony both in and outside of the Logsdon’s home Saturday, as he blessed different sections of the house.

Many of the volunteers pitched-in four or five hours a day after working their regular jobs.

“Nobody ever complained. It was just a great atmosphere and just a great thing I think for everybody involved,” said Steve Stark, a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church.

The Logsdons are the first family to move into a volunteer-built home as sponsored by March2Recovery. According to the organization, more than 16,000 volunteers from 49 states have been involved with the group’s relief efforts since March.

March2Recovery has 73 construction projects in different phases in Clark, Jefferson and Washington counties. The group received a grant to assist families, but donations and sponsors such as churches and other organizations have aided the effort.

March2Recovery Executive Director Carolyn King anticipates the group will be involved in as many as 100 construction projects by next summer.

Materials and donations are still needed. For more information, visit the website march2recovery.org.

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BACK HOME AGAIN: Family moves in to first March2Recovery tornado relief house

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