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Northern Michigan Couple Helps the "Helpers"

March 19, 2007

Typical stories coming out of the Gulf Coast most often deal with the plight of the people who lost so much in the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina, which hit nearly two years ago, in August, 2005. Very little notice is given to those who volunteer to help out, and that’s probably just the way they like it. But with so much assistance needed in the area, one may wonder where these volunteers stay. One place, locally known at “The Dedeaux Hilton,” is the Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Dedeaux, Mississippi.

Located approximately ten miles north of Interstate 10, the Sacred Heart Retreat Center was one of the few habitable structures still in existence post-Katrina. With minimal damage the center was quickly put into use housing hundreds of volunteers; coming from as near as Jackson, Mississippi and as far away as England. During peak weeks, as many as 175 volunteers have been hosted on the property. These volunteers work through the Diocese of Biloxi, Department of Long Term Recovery (DOLTR) and to date more than 2,100 have used the facility during their volunteer missions.

Though the structure itself was renovated in the late ’90’s, after Hurricane George took a toll on the center, the passage of time and extended use has necessitated the upgrading and repair of several infrastructure components. With the well-timed arrival of two volunteers from Indian River, Michigan, Garry and Pat Singel, extensive plumbing improvements are now underway at the facility. Parishioners at Cross in the Woods parish in the Diocese of Gaylord, the Singel’s typically volunteer during a yearly mission trip to Mexico. This year they decided to go somewhere closer to home and perform much needed, important work on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Garry Singel and his wife Pat founded Singel Plumbing Company in Metro Detroit in 1970. Working within a 50 mile radius of Detroit, their plumbing and mechanical contracting business found their niche of profitability working with restaurants and automotive supply companies. The Singels retired in 2000, selling their business to an employee who had begun as an apprentice a decade earlier.

The Singels first heard of the Diocese of Biloxi’s need from Fr. Tom Vos, O.F.M., recently retired from Nashville. A Franciscan Friar of the Sacred Heart Province in St. Louis, Missouri, Fr. Vos now resides Cross in the Woods, Indian River. Learning of the Singels’ interest, Fr. Vos put them in touch with Ben Swiderek of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Vos’ former parish in Madisonville, Tennessee. Swiderek recently volunteered on the Coast.

Proficient in new construction, repairs, hydronic heat as well as holding both master plumber and mechanical contractor’s licenses, Singel quickly went to work on much needed repairs at the center. Restroom facilities have been renovated, making them environmentally friendly and water efficient. Singel also repaired broken sewage lines and made improvements to the drainage system. Toilets and urinals were replaced to conserve water and in-ground fresh water piping has been replaced and/or repaired to correct seepage around the building’s foundation.

Volunteers at the center share daily duties in the kitchen as well as throughout the facility. While helping prepare breakfast, Pat Singel remarked on the food preparation process. “Feeding the troops is like preparing for a wedding reception each and every day.”

As he dug in to his third day “on the job”, Singel praised the efforts of the Diocesan Office of Long Term Recovery. “I’m glad to see a Catholic organization doing this important work. We’re happy to be a part of it.”

With his help and that of his lovely wife Pat; future volunteers will reap the benefits of their time, talents and generous labor.