News

Issendorf 'Pays it Forward' in New York State for Ann

By Scott Wagar

10/01/2013

After Jennifer Issendorf volunteered her time last year to assist in constructing Annie’s House, she returned to the New York Says Thank You (NYSTY) organization in the State of New York  this fall to assist in re-building an area in Long Island that was severaly damaged in 2012 from Hurricane Sandy.

“The annual barn raising project with New York Says Thank You was from Sept. 5-8. It is right before the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,” Issendorf said. “I was in Long Beach, NY, which is right on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a tourist area and reminds me a lot of Lake Metigoshe since the water is right within walking distance.”

“Hurricane Sandy damaged businesses as well as many homes. Some homes where still in piles of rubble, some had work done on them. It reminded me a lot of the flooded areas in Minot in that some homes were repaired and some were not due to insurance problems, or lack of funds. One home in particular was the Charlie Sadler Jr. home,” Issendorf added.

Sadler is a police officer for the New York Police Department who lost his entire home due to Hurricane Sandy. Ten months after the hurricane, he was still struggling to get his home rebuilt. With his difficulties, NYSTY stepped in and made the decision to rebuild his home.

For Issendorf, she took part in building Sadler’s new home, along with a variety of other activities, which included the passing on the “Ceremony Tool Belt”, which goes from one construction site to the next for each different project NYSTY conducts.

“At the construction site I did pound a few nails, but on Saturday I passed on the Ceremonial Tool Belt to Charles Sadler Sr, who is the father of the New York police officer who’s home was being rebuilt by the New York Says Thank You Volunteers.

“Charlie Sr. has been working on the house around the clock, right alongside his son Charlie Jr  and Charlie’s wife Gena. Each year during the build a tool is added from each build site, then passed onto the new foreman of the build. Dan Fett was the recipient of the Tool Belt in 2012 during the build at Annie’s House, but he was unable to make the trip out east due to harvest. I was asked by Jeff Parness, CEO of NYSTY, to hand off the tool belt to the next recipient,” Issendorf said.

“I also helped with a couple other projects. One of them was the Stars of Hope. I did paint stars that would get distributed throughout the community of Long Beach, as well as New Jersey. Some of the stars that were painted will also go to Colorado where the recent floods caused devastation, as well as Moore, Okla., where the tornados touched down.

“I also made a few Healing Headbands as well. It was half of a white bandana and I wrote an inspirational message on it with my name and where I am from, then it was soaked in soda ash and then I decorated it with different color of dyes. I chose to have mine go to a first responder in another state. I did make a sign for the Mash Pole that was put up at the Sadler House. This year it was in the shape of a surfboard. My sign stated that it is over 1700 miles from Bottineau, ND to Long Beach, NY.”

Issendorf, who was a personal friend of Ann Nicole Nelson, also spent time in and around Ground Zero where she was given the opportunity to be near her friend which she lost to the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

“On Sept. 7, I boarded the Long Island Rail Road in Long Beach for the ride to NYC. I was with 11 firemen from St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans. We toured the 9/11 Tribute Centers near Ground Zero, and also toured FDNY Ladder Ten House, which is across the street from the World Trade Center.

“We took the private tour of Ground Zero and we found Ann Nicole Nelson’s name on the North Reflection Pool, which is where World Trade Center Tower 1 stood before the 9/11 attacks,” Issendorf said. “On Sept. 11, at 7:37 a.m. eastern time, I boarded the LIRR from New Hyde Park, N.Y., to Penn Station. Once at Penn Station I walked to Madison Square Garden to hail a taxi to get to the Marriott at Battery Park, near Ground Zero.

“Upon arrival at the Marriott, I met up with Gary Nelson and his relatives for the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site. I got to hear Ann’s name being read by her aunt, Marsha. It was an emotional day, but I am glad I got to be a part of it.”

“Gary also took us to several sites near Ground Zero. We went to the Trinity Church, which is the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton,” Issendorf added.

“Near Ground Zero we also went to St. Paul’s Chapel, which is the oldest church in Manhattan. When the Twin Towers collapsed, St. Paul’s Chapel was still standing and there were no broken windows. St. Paul’s Chapel has George Washington’s special pew on display.”

After her trip to New York City, Issendorf stated that she was taught many lessons and comes away from her humanitarian trip feeling strong and positive.

“I learned that no matter where you are from, your race, sex or nationality, that when a disaster strikes we can all work as a unit,” she said.

“Personally, I feel good about the trip I took, and what I did has made me feel rewarded. Volunteers came to the Bottineau Winter Park to help build Annie’s House, and it was my time to help ‘pay it forward’ to somebody who needed help. I am ready to go back to the Long Beach area and volunteer, as well as explore the area more. It is a gorgeous area and the people were very nice and were accommodating to all of us who traveled from all over the United States and many other countries.”