Insights > Diary of a Dynamic Duo

Diary of a Dynamic Duo

10/25/2021

Some heroes wear capes. Some wear work gloves and safety glasses. Most just want to do a good deed for those in need, often because someone else once extended them a helping hand.

David Rose, an analyst in Entergy Mississippi’s economic development department, will tell you he’s no hero. Erica Jackson, a senior project manager at Entergy, may beg to differ.

Rose says he’s just a regular guy trying to teach his 10-year-old son, Alex, the importance of volunteering to help others and the value of a hard day’s work. Jackson says they were a godsend after Hurricane Ida heavily damaged her family’s southeast Louisiana home. While she’s weathered many storms, Ida was the first to cause significant damage to her home. When she was finally able to return and begin cleaning up the debris, the Roses were there to help.

Hurricane Ida: David and Alex's Volunteer Diary

4:09 a.m. Truck is packed and loaded. We did a safety check, even on a recently replaced taillight.
4:09 a.m. Truck is packed and loaded. We did a safety check, even on a recently replaced taillight.
4:09 a.m. Finally got a good pic Alex’s smile before hitting the road. We buckled up first!
4:09 a.m. Finally got a good pic Alex’s smile before hitting the road. We buckled up first!
4:15 a.m. Stopped to grab ice for our ice chest.
4:15 a.m. Stopped to grab ice for our ice chest.
4:15 a.m. Got dollar coins in change. I knew Susan B. Anthony. Franklin Pierce? Had to Google him.
4:15 a.m. Got dollar coins in change. I knew Susan B. Anthony. Franklin Pierce? Had to Google him.
6:56 a.m. We’d been on the road for a few hours. Stopped to grab breakfast before we got to the worst hit areas.
6:56 a.m. We’d been on the road for a few hours. Stopped to grab breakfast before we got to the worst hit areas.
6:56 a.m. I think we were north of Hammond.
6:56 a.m. I think we were north of Hammond.
6:56 a.m. Alex kept me company all morning. Waiting for food, he rested but was back upright to eat!
6:56 a.m. Alex kept me company all morning. Waiting for food, he rested but was back upright to eat!
7:10 a.m. South of Ponchatoula, saw blue roofs and devastation. Alex was a great photographer!
7:10 a.m. South of Ponchatoula, saw blue roofs and devastation. Alex was a great photographer!
7:21 a.m. Took our exit and passed utility crews headed to their jobs. Street lights were working!
7:21 a.m. Took our exit and passed utility crews headed to their jobs. Street lights were working!
7:24 a.m. First glimpse of the neighborhood. It looked like mostly wind damage, not flooding.
7:24 a.m. First glimpse of the neighborhood. It looked like mostly wind damage, not flooding.
7:37 a.m. Mailboxes were gone, but we found the house and unloaded tools. Ready for a great day.
7:37 a.m. Mailboxes were gone, but we found the house and unloaded tools. Ready for a great day.
7:42 a.m. We helped the homeowner first by cleaning up the back yard.
7:42 a.m. We helped the homeowner first by cleaning up the back yard.
7:42 a.m. A fence gate was in the way, so we removed it to get along the side  of the house.
7:42 a.m. A fence gate was in the way, so we removed it to get along the side of the house.
7:42 a.m. Alex jumped at a chance to use tools, put on his safety gear and got to work!
7:42 a.m. Alex jumped at a chance to use tools, put on his safety gear and got to work!
7:42 a.m. Note to self: we may need to invest in some work boots for him.
7:42 a.m. Note to self: we may need to invest in some work boots for him.
8:51 a.m. We cleared the back yard of shingles, boards and debris. Alex was such a big help!
8:51 a.m. We cleared the back yard of shingles, boards and debris. Alex was such a big help!
8:51 a.m. Almost the last load from the back yard. The debris pile extended down the property line!
8:51 a.m. Almost the last load from the back yard. The debris pile extended down the property line!
9:09 a.m. Our first hard-earned break. Alex grabbed an extra sandwich we bought at breakfast.
9:09 a.m. Our first hard-earned break. Alex grabbed an extra sandwich we bought at breakfast.
9:11 a.m. WHOOPS! Forgot to make him wash his hands. He promised to not get me in trouble with mom.
9:11 a.m. WHOOPS! Forgot to make him wash his hands. He promised to not get me in trouble with mom.
9:12 a.m. Looking at the neighborhood reminds me of what it was like after Hurricane Katrina.
9:12 a.m. Looking at the neighborhood reminds me of what it was like after Hurricane Katrina.
9:30 a.m.  Inside, the ceiling collapsed and had water damage. We removed items and sheetrock.
9:30 a.m. Inside, the ceiling collapsed and had water damage. We removed items and sheetrock.
9:54 a.m. On a quick break, we took in a view of the cleaned-up back yard. That’s a good feeling!
9:54 a.m. On a quick break, we took in a view of the cleaned-up back yard. That’s a good feeling!
11:50 a.m.  The neighbor asked us to help move a big fence section to the street. Great teamwork!
11:50 a.m. The neighbor asked us to help move a big fence section to the street. Great teamwork!
12:37 p.m. Bad weather was on the way, so we decided to leave a little earlier than planned.
12:37 p.m. Bad weather was on the way, so we decided to leave a little earlier than planned.
1:09 p.m. Traffic stopped for crews. We grabbed a photo while we waited for them to do their jobs!
1:09 p.m. Traffic stopped for crews. We grabbed a photo while we waited for them to do their jobs!
1:19 p.m. We were headed north out of town. There were still lots of lines down.
1:19 p.m. We were headed north out of town. There were still lots of lines down.
4:22 p.m. Made it home safely. I’m so proud of Alex. He's a great partner!
4:22 p.m. Made it home safely. I’m so proud of Alex. He's a great partner!

“We were overwhelmed,” Jackson said. “David and Alex came from several hours away to help my family and that was a big deal to us. I was amazed at how hard a worker Alex was all day long. David had done this before, so he knew how to help us. You don’t find people like them much anymore. We’re so grateful for their help!”  

Together, the dynamic duo helped Jackson clear rubble from her home and yard. They picked up shingles that had blown off the roof, pulled moldy sheetrock from the house and identified safety hazards to address. David saw trampoline parts scattered throughout the yard and worried they could damage Jackson’s lawn equipment. So, Alex meticulously searched the yard to retrieve all the springs. That attention to the smallest detail meant a lot to Jackson.

The elder Rose knows how she feels, with extreme devastation and so much to do. He was in the same position after Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers from a Pennsylvania church group helped him clean up and since then, he’s vowed to help others in the same situation.

“If I’m able to help someone who has lost their home and belongings in a hurricane, I will because I’ve been in their shoes,” he said. “I thought this would be a good experience to share with Alex. He was a trooper! I’m so proud of how hard he worked and what we accomplished together for the Jackson family.”

The day got a thumbs up from Alex, too. “I loved using tools to work on the fence and ripping out sheetrock,” he said. “It was good helping someone else.”

It seems like the Roses may have just begun a father-son tradition of paying it forward through volunteerism. 


Leyla Goodsell
Manager, Entergy Mississippi Communications