Sabine Pass Needs Help Cleaning Up The City

It's been almost a month since Hurricane Ike swept across the Texas coast... demolishing towns and damaging homes and businesses.

And even though some cities survived, the ones that didn't like Sabine Pass need help removing all the rubble so they can rebuild.

That's why Port Arthur is stepping up to help its coastal neighbor.

It's tough, we've been here six years, we collected for 6 six, we saved for 6 years and to come here, it's strung from here to everywhere.

It's extremely hard for Henry Smith to look at this pile of rubble, the spot where his home used to sit. Now it's just a mound of cinder blocks, wood, and scattered memories.

"It's all gone, there's nothing left," said Smith.

Henry and Cathy Williams haven't seen one trace of their roof, the siding, or the frame of their house.

"You can walk around and walk around and walk around and you're not gonna be able to find what you're looking for, but you keep looking, you keep looking," said Smith.

For the past three weeks, they've been looking for 40 years of cherished mementos. Henry collected knick-knacks from different places he's traveled like Egypt, Canada and Yemen.

"I found one from India, and one from Australia," said Smith.

The sifting and searching is critical. Especially when Smith finds pictures like this one, when his kids were children.

"You don't just wanna come out and push stuff out the way,because your afraid you might miss something that you've lost, it's just gonna take some time and people to get it picked up and get searching to see what you can find if you can find," said Smith.

That's why the city of Port Arthur is pitching in to help residents like Henry and Kathy.

"They're not going home to wet walls and carpet, they're going home to empty lots and piles of rubble. They're tired and they need everyone to help them," said Pam Trosclair. Trosclair is the Community Partnership Coordinator for the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce.

A helping hand that will will make it easier for residents like Henry Smith clean up torn memories and build new ones.

If you'd like to help Sabine Pass, sign up is at 8 a-m across from the school.

Work will begin 9a-m. Needed supplies include wheel-barrows, ropes, yard tools, pitch forks and rakes.

Residents also need small bar-b-q pits, small bags of charcoal and charcoal lighter.

Clothes are 'not' needed.

Volunteers should bring boots, gloves, sun screen and bug spray.

To volunteer call Pam Trosclar at the greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce at 963-1107.