Celina man's missionary work takes him to Bahamas for hurricane help

CELINA - Hurricane Dorian is regarded as the worst natural disaster in the history of the Bahamas since it made landfall on Sept. 1.

Months after the storm struck, volunteers such as Rich Barger are still traveling to the country of more than 700 islands, keys and islets to help pick up the pieces left behind by the storm.

Since 2017, Barger has traveled to several U.S. states and territories as well as various countries in his mission to help others after disaster strikes.

The retired teacher has served with the Western Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church and Samaritan's Purse to do mission work. His most recent trip to the Bahamas was completed with Samaritan's Purse. He joined volunteers from across the U.S.

The category 5 hurricane made landfall on the Abaco islands with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts of more than 220 mph, according to an assessment of the hurricane's effects by the Inter-American Development Bank.

The hurricane's greatest impact was felt on Grand Bahama and the Abaco islands. The disaster is estimated to have left $3.4 billion in damage, according to the report.

Barger worked on the island of Man-O-Cay, which he said was one of the more fortunate isles. Man-O-Cay had no deaths or serious injuries but still plenty of damage and debris needing response, he added.

"It's hard to comprehend," Barger said. "Your emotions have to be checked."

From Nov. 24 through Dec. 3, Barger and his teammates worked on houses on the island, splitting their time between putting tarps on roofs and removing water-damaged flooring and drywall, among other work.

While Barger may not be a master carpenter or electrician, he's often asked to join missions thanks to his willingness to learn and penchant for helping others.

The 69-year-old said the real satisfaction from his volunteer work was meeting homeowners or locals who showed gratitude toward the volunteers.

"I'm feeling happy just thinking about it," he said with a chuckle. "There was a lightness in their eyes and smiles on their faces."

The islanders were beyond welcoming to the volunteers who gave their time, especially on Thanksgiving. Barger said the volunteers were served a full Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings - turkey, dressing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. A local chef had fixed the dinner and even managed to gather a few TVs so they could watch football.

"We were home," he said warmly.

Barger said the feeling of being welcome and wanted had made the trip better than he could have imagined. Spending time with and getting to know the people who lived in the home on which he was working was a great experience, he said.

"You could actually see the work" getting done and see the difference it made to those affected by the hurricane, he added.

If Mercer County residents are looking to get an idea of the devastation Barger has seen in his years of volunteering, he said to look no farther than the neighborhoods of Dayton that were destroyed by the Memorial Day tornado.

Homes in Celina were also destroyed by an EF3 tornado that struck the same night. Punishing winds with top speeds of 150 mph left homes leveled and one dead with several others injured.

Barger said he recently was asked by the Disaster Relief Headquarters of the United Methodist Church in Columbus to be part of a group that will outline a strategy for Dayton and the surrounding communities to recover from that storm.