What type of interaction is being used when people work together to rebuild thier damaged homes after a tornado?

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should buy some of their wares. Father Steve, Another shirt and tie man with a clipboard
with his own money, bought five new steam walks up to Father. He is the adjuster from the
cleaners, a spray machine, and related mecha- Federal Flood Insurance ready to continue his
nical marvels that are being used by volunteers survey of the damaged church properties. The
in home after home following the hard work- policy, taken out only three months before the
ing mud-and-muck teams that precede them. waters went wild over Johnstown, is a bright
He already has been using a product that costs ray of hope to Father. Like many others,
him twice as much as the peddlers promise. He following the heavy January snows in New
eyes them suspiciously and says, “Where York and Pennsylvania, they decided to pur-
were you two weeks ago? Another company chase a policy for the parish buildings. He
was here with samples we could try out. signs a survey sheet and tells the reporter, “I
Father then matches them word for word, in just paid the first three months premium less
their own jargon, on the chemical plusses of than a month before the flood." The reporter
the products and the particular bacteriological glances skyward and comments that someone
challenges of removing even the slightest was working for him. Father Steve says
traces of sewerage-contaminated water that nothing.
now taints every home in his town. Put off a

Walking to the temporary second floor office bit by Father's knowledge of their own chemi

that used to be his assistant's counseling room cal portfolio, they become somewhat apolo

for the University of Pittsburgh branch where getic and defensive. Father challenges them:

Father“J.D." is the Catholic Chaplain, he "Send me a 5-gallon can and I'll use it. If it's

looks at the past. “When I arrived here 11 no good I'll burn ya!” They leave abruptly,

years ago the church was $1200 in debt and I especially after someone nearby suggests they had $250 cash on hand. Then we got things should donate it or offer a special reduced

going. I took my choir kids to Chicago to sing price. As they move away, Father says he just

a folk Mass, which is still very popular here, bought a second order of 120 gallons of the

we repointed the church and eight years ago we first stuff this morning, and “I don't know

went into the ceramics business with $250 and where I'll get the 900 some dollars to pay

five people who donated their time. We set up for it.”

a nonprofit structure, employed 15 people and While this conversation winds down, a huge last year grossed $65,000. We had our eye on man with an orange hard hat moves up on a a record $82,000 year and now we've lost the reporter from a newspaper, still on the

building and almost a thousand molds. The scene. He wears a shiny steel crucifix and a molds have to be destroyed because they abstick-em tag on the hard hat that says Lutheran sorb liquids. Sewerage contaminated flood Disaster Relief. He tells the reporter: "Send waters have gone all through them. The me electricians. I need five of them. I had mechanical equipment is shot as well. And just some but they had to go home. That's OK, when things were really looking good." He they did good work. Now I need some more. goes on, rather sadly, "I didn't ever want this Do you know any?'' The reporter mumbles to become a bingo parish and it didn't happen something judged worthless by the orange hat;

here." he moves over to Father for further conversation, then departs smiling.

As Father Slavik passes the church door,

Father J.D. is finishing saying a rather late After a brief discussion by the school with the noon Mass for blue-jeaned and muddy-shoed Parish secretary Rita Fishter, about use of the participants. It is August 15th, the Feast of the flood monies just presented to him, she leaves Assumption and a Holy Day of Obligation for with a mental list of things Father wants done. Catholics. Resplendent in immaculate white A bright articulate but tired lady, she pauses and exclaims excitedly while pointing to the second floor window, “Oh look, my spider "Mennonite Disaster Relief plants are having babies – I've been watching for them for weeks and I forgot about them!”A in the world who come down for

workers, some of the grandest people few nearby people, munching Red Cross kielbasa sausage sandwiches, examine the tiny

miles to help in every disaster in new signs of life on the plant, smile, and con

America." tinue munching the tasty Polish treat.

above his blue-jeans and boots, the bottom of his vestments completes an architecturally per-

fect perspective with the high water mark on

the sides of the church pews. As he raises his
arms at the moment of consecration, priest and
host form a startling exclamation point for the
ever-bustling street scene that swirls relent- lessly on the sidewalk outside.

Later, in the rectory command post, Father

removes his hat and slouches onto a black
couch, a diet-pepsi in his hands. Block cap- tains pop in and out with requests for this and that, nuns in blue jeans pass through with word

about tasks well underway or emerging priori-

ties that need attention, others bring news of
need to order more food for the feeding opera-
tion in the church, and what have you! The Red Cross medical first aid and counseling service next door in the convent demands some

attention on a point or two, and the phone rings

constantly. Father takes some calls and tells
the pretty young volunteer what he wants done on the others. (“'Her father owns the best ice

cream store in town,” he confides to

the reporter.)