Team Rubicon volunteers help homeowners with heavy storm cleanup in San Bernardino County

PIÑON HILLS, Calif. () — In the San Bernardino mountains, volunteers are putting in countless hours helping homeowners dig out from the last big storm. Without these good Samaritans, some had no idea how they were going to recover from the disaster.

Over the weekend, a group of volunteers arrived at Mike Dodgin’s Piñon Hills home to help clean up after a flood swept through the home on Christmas Eve.

“All of Sheep Creek from Wrightwood came through this property,” said Dodgin.

The only thing saved was a mattress. Everything else is gone. But not all is lost.

Team Rubicon is now leading the effort to muck out Dodgin’s home, removing load after load of mud before the difficult work of tearing out soaked walls can even begin.

“We have a group of volunteers that will come out to assist communities in these situations,” said Will Chiaffino, of Team Rubicon. “These disasters can be pretty overwhelming.”

For 78-year-old Dodgin, this is about more than debris removal — it’s a lifeline.

“I’d be swamped. There’s no way I could do this, no way at all. If they hadn’t showed up, come by and offered their help… I’d be… I’d be down,” Dodgin said as he got emotional.

Dodgin’s niece told Eyewitness News that without flood insurance her uncle was prepared to walk away from his home had it not been for volunteers and Team Rubicon.”

“They showed up today and they’re a total blessing. We couldn’t do it. We couldn’t do it all,” said Janis Miller.

In the middle of the devastation there is now movement.

Twenty veteran-led volunteers are working shoulder to shoulder with a man who thought he’d lost everything, turning heartbreak into progress — one bucket at a time.

“I am so lucky to have so many nice people help,” Dodgin said.

Team Rubicon is dubbing its operations in response to this storm “Right Side Up.” The team is also helping the county of San Bernardino map out the disasters. They’ll be in the area until January 5 and said they’ve already gotten several people contacting them about helping them dig out their homes.