Alabama Baptists help with tornado cleanup efforts

The sniffles Roy Glenn struggled with during the first week of January were a minor inconvenience, but not enough to keep him from helping others in his community who were hit by a tornado just days before Christmas.
   
And Glenn, a member of Macedonia Baptist Church in Coates Bend, was not alone in assisting those impacted by the disaster.
   
A busy holiday season and inclement weather did not keep Alabama Baptists from across the state from volunteering their time and efforts to assist those hit by the Dec. 16 tornadoes. In addition to homes that were damaged or destroyed, 12 people were killed as a result of the tornadoes which hit in Geneva, Etowah and Tuscaloosa counties.
   
The deadliest tornado ravaged parts of Tuscaloosa, with the F-4 tornado classified as the nation’s deadliest in 2000.
   
Several churches were damaged in the tornadoes, but rather than focusing on its churches, Baptists seized the opportunity for ministry by going out into the affected communities to assist residents.
   
Glenn said he worked several days following the storm that hit Etowah County and was working again the first full week of January.
   
“They needed a lot of people down here,” Glenn said. “There were so many people who needed help.”
   
And even though everyone was in the midst of the holiday season, Glenn said some of the volunteers worked up until Christmas Eve.
   
Tommy Puckett, director of men’s ministries for the State Board of Missions, said 75–100 volunteers worked in Geneva County in efforts ranging from replacing roofs at homes to cleanup. Puckett said the volunteers were from five associations: Columbia, Coffee, Judson, Dale and Geneva.
   
“These were people who had no insurance coverage,” Puckett said of work done at homes where roofs were repaired. “They replaced a porch at one and even replaced the windshield on a car of another person that didn’t have any insurance.”
   
Addressing relief effort in Etowah County, Puckett said the Etowah Association Feeding Unit worked nine days and served approximately 1,650 meals. While work began almost immediately after the disaster, Puckett said it is ongoing and that the association has scheduled Jan. 11, 13 and 20 as volunteer cleanup day for church members in that association and surrounding areas.
   
In Tuscaloosa County, Puckett said the association served some 1,700 meals. He estimated more than 200 volunteers representing 32 different groups besides Baptists helped in clearing 61 sites.
   
Jerry Wilkins, director of missions for Tuscaloosa Association, said the area is still in need of work that has to be done with front-end loaders and backhoes. Most of the other cleanup has been accomplished, he said.
  
Bob Thornton, director of missions for Etowah Association, said volunteers have helped with repairs for families whose homes were damaged.
   
He added that efforts have also involved helping people in removing trees that had fallen and other debris from their homes and yards.
   
Twenty-four projects involving repairs to homes have been completed, Thornton said, with several dozen more scheduled once families secure funds from insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Association.
   
Thornton said approximately 250 volunteers from Baptist churches throughout the association have worked in the weeks following the tornadoes. He said some were one-time volunteers while others worked several days.
   
The Geneva Baptist Association issued a press release saying it had provided food, clothing and gift certificates. In addition, volunteers worked at helping to tear down damaged buildings and make repairs.
   
The association said labor and materials were provided free as a ministry to storm victims.
   
“Even during a time of inconvenience, such as during the Christmas holidays, there was a response by Alabama Baptists to help those needs,” Puckett said, noting the weather also made the work more difficult.
   
Individuals wishing to contribute to relief efforts may do so by check or money order payable to State Board of Missions, P.O. Box 11870, Montgomery, AL 36111-0870. Contributions should be marked “for disaster relief.”