On an early January morning in 1998, intruders armed with a 16-pound sledge hammer smashed the rear door of the Houston (Texas) storehouse and cannery and entered.
They crushed locks, broke pictures, rummaged through desks, ransacked files, destroyed cash registers and shattered computers. They threw eggs and spilled milk, cooking oil and detergent over the floors. They smeared pies over the walls. And as they left, they set off fire extinguishers, blanketing shelves, machinery, walls and floors with toxic powder.
When the storehouse crew entered the building that Thursday morning, they wept as they inspected the desecration that took place the night before. The first reaction was shock — that anyone could wantonly vandalize any building, let alone one that had been used to help those in need. Their second reaction was typical of the Latter-day Saint spirit — they went to work.
So much needed to be done: an assessment of the damage needed to be made, the building needed to be secured. The clean-up alone appeared to be a formidable task, all the shelving would have to be dismantled, removed and then reassembled after all had been cleaned.
The cannery staff wondered if they should cancel a peanut butter run that had been scheduled for Friday, eight days from then. Even though canceling would put the peanut butter quota a full month behind, they could not see an alternative. They had to cancel.
As word of the break-in spread, Church members began to pour into the facility. By the end of the first day, new handles and locks were installed on the doors. The complex once again was secure. On Saturday after the break-in, more than 100 members arrived, some traveling two hours to help. Members who had come for food orders or to do dry-pack canning set their plans aside and assisted in the clean-up. They dismantled shelves, took apart the food processing machinery and removed toxic chemicals from each piece. Carpets were professionally cleaned, walls and ceilings were sanitized. When clean-up crews finished, paint crews followed in their footsteps.
In all, members volunteered more than 1,000 man-hours to clean and repair the facilities. The following Monday, volunteers restocked the storehouse in time to issue food on Tuesday. The canceled cannery run was reinstated — peanut butter again flowed from extruders.
— Neil K. Newell, Welfare Services
Another in the series "Pure Religion," showing the principles of welfare service at work.
Illustration by John Clark