Team Rubicon volunteers lend helping hand in Allegheny County after storm damage

When severe storms rolled through the region last week, Bill Robinson watched the downpours and battering winds wreak havoc on his yard in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood

The winds were so strong that he struggled to open his door to let his dog, Lola, in the house.

By the time the worst of the weather passed on April 29, several massive trees toppled over onto his garage. A portion of his neighbor’s porch had collapsed. Tree limbs littered his yard on Leavitt Street.

Robinson, 69, said Friday he hadn’t anticipated such massive storms. After suffering a stroke last year, he couldn’t tackle the cleanup by himself.

As he showed reporters the fallen trees that trapped his motorcycle in the garage, Robinson said he was grateful for a team of volunteers from an organization called Team Rubicon who were on their way to help out, free of charge.

“These people who are coming, they’re really good people,” Robinson said.

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit that sends volunteers — many of whom are veterans — to communities around the world to help before, during and after natural disasters.

It was founded after a major earthquake in Haiti in 2010. The group’s website says it has more than 190,000 volunteers in the U.S.

A small contingent of local volunteers lead various service projects throughout Allegheny County several times a year, but about 30 more trained volunteers descended on the area this week to help remove downed trees and patch up leaky roofs in the wake of storms that left at least three dead in the region, damaged buildings, cut power to thousands and felled innumerable trees.

Peter Lindner stepped away from his home, two kids and EMT job in Connecticut to help. He and other volunteers are sleeping on cots in South Side Market House and responding to requests for help across Allegheny County.

He joined a crew of chainsaw-wielding volunteers in Brookline to help remove the fallen trees from Robinson’s property. That’s one of about 500 requests for help the volunteers have received since the storm.

Team Rubicon’s first day of work was Thursday. Lindner said they’re not sure how long they’ll stay, but estimated they’ll keep working through at least May 15.

People can call 211, an aid line, to put their name on the list for help. Anyone looking to volunteer or donate to Team Rubicon can do so through their website.

The nonprofit mobilized a response after a request for help from Allegheny County’s emergency management team, Lindner said.

They try to respond to any request they receive from areas hit hard by storms or other crises where there are unmet needs.

Volunteers circled up outside South Side Market House early Friday morning before they started their work. Lindner urged them to not just remove trees and clean debris, but to connect with the people who were impacted by the storms.

“Do the heart work and the hard work,” Lindner said. “Let’s connect with this community. Let’s be part of the fabric of it.”

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said county crews worked around the clock to ensure roads were safe and to clean up parks. But county and municipal workers generally don’t conduct cleanups on private property, and that’s where volunteers like Team Rubicon come in.

Innamorato said she was inspired to see neighbors helping neighbors — and Team Rubicon volunteers from around the country helping perfect strangers.

She joined the volunteers before they started cleanup efforts Friday to thank them for their work.

“Many of you probably know Pittsburgh is home of Mr. Rogers, and I think he would be extremely proud because you are all the helpers,” Innamorato said.