HE BRINGS MERCY IN BOAT AFTER STORM
Don Manley ferries residents to fetch their possessions after Irma
Each week, this series will introduce you to an exceptional American who unites, rather than divides, our communities. To read more about the American profiled here and more average Americans doing exceptional things, visit onenation.usatoday.com.
What does it mean to you to be an American?
It means having the greatest freedom and opportunity in the world, but it also comes with the requirements that we help those less fortunate.
What moment touched and motivated you to launch this effort?
There are two moments. The first one is always help those in need. But the moment that solidified it for me was seeing a young man in an inner tube floating down his road trying to get to his house to save what meager possessions he had. That just resonates in my mind, and I’ll never forget it.
What gives you hope or what concerns you?
What gives me hope is the people we’re helping. Really, it’s more than hope. What gives me peace of mind is knowing that this is going to be OK, is Miesel, who tells me, ‘I am saved. I am alive. God bless, I am an American,’ and he’s had his house destroyed. And he’s thankful. It doesn’t give me hope, it gives me absolute knowledge that this is going to be OK.
What do you hope to accomplish through your efforts?
I just want to give this small community the opportunity to return to normalcy. That’s the only thing I hope to accomplish — to get them back to a normal life.