A “Keeper’s” Light to Shine a Glimmer of Hope
in the Devastating Wake of Hurricane Katrina
By Bob Trapani, Jr.
The states of
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were forever changed on Monday,
August 29, 2005 following the landfall of catastrophic Hurricane
Katrina. The numbing devastation left behind in the wake of this killer
storm has shattered the lives of millions of people. Untold numbers have
lost loved ones, homes,
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Hal Biering enjoys volunteering to
help people in projects
belongings -- even
their personal mementos that bridged generations of their family’s history.
The physical, emotional and financial toll that Hurricane Katrina has
exacted on the residents of the Gulf Coast may never be truly measured.
At a time when the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has narrowed
down life’s complexities to mere survival, grief-stricken residents are
desperate for any glimmer of hope to emotionally combat the affects of this
unspeakable tragedy. Any shining “light” shone by caring fellow Americans –
no matter how small during this tragedy, is able to convey heartfelt comfort
and lend a helping hand at a time when all seems lost.
Given the fact that lighthouses stand in the hearts and minds of many
Americans as symbols of unshakeable strength in times of life’s storm, it is
only fitting that one of our nation’s most dedicated lighthouse
preservationists is packing up his tools and personal belongings at Little
River Light Station in Cutler, Maine, and heading south to Biloxi,
Mississippi, where he will join other volunteers to help bring the light of
hope to this storm-ravaged area.
For 78 year-old
Hal Biering, volunteering is not an occasional activity but a calling.
During the last three summers, “Mr. Hal” as he is known
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Betty & Hal Biering
locally in Cutler, has lent his trade and engineering
skills to the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation, owners of Little
River Light Station. His Herculean efforts and resolve have since helped
carry the historic light station from the brink of oblivion to the
threshold of preservation. “The restoration of Little River Lighthouse
would not have been accomplished at such a pace, especially with limited
funds, if it had not been for Hal Biering,” said Timothy Harrison,
President of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Yet Hal’s commitment to volunteerism doesn’t stop with
lighthouses. In
fact, the horrific damage inflicting on the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina
“hit home” with his wife Betty and him in more ways than one. The couple
lives in Fairhope, Alabama on Mobile Bay during most of the year and is
quite familiar with the regions that have been tragically impacted by the
storm. In addition, Hal has spent the past five years volunteering to help
those less fortunate in the area by refurbishing existing homes in need of
repair through the efforts of Eastern Shore Affordable Housing in Alabama.
As Betty and Hal
watched images of the devastation come across their motor home’s television
screen, all their immediate personal plans were scratched. Compelled by what
he saw, Hal knew in his heart there was only one thing left to do – pack up
and go help those in dire need. “I have contacts with the Red Cross down in
that area and so I called them up to offer my services,” says Biering. “But
where do you start? My guess is you bring all the volunteers together and
see what people can do and where they are needed most.
If Hal’s past
experiences are any indication of what can be accomplished by caring
volunteers, residents in Biloxi, Mississippi will
benefit
greatly from the helping hand. “I personally worked on three different
homes during my time with Eastern Shore Affordable Housing,” said
Biering. “There was one family that I was able to help that was very
appreciative of my efforts. I was able to help turn their life around.
That’s what I like to do.”
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
“I hope to help in anyway I can – from
cleaning up debris to rebuilding homes
and
people’s lives. By working together we
will make it happen.”
- Hal Biering
Though “Mr. Hal’s” days of being a “keeper of the light’ for the American
Lighthouse Foundation at Little River Light Station will continue next
summer in 2006, right now he is focusing his thoughts and energies on
bringing the symbolic light and strength of a lighthouse to the victims of
Hurricane Katrina. “I hope to help in anyway I can – from cleaning up debris
to rebuilding homes and people’s lives,” says Biering. “By working together
we will make it happen.”
