Before Wednesday, Marianne Wright had never volunteered. It was something she genuinely wanted to do, but she could never think of something to do that would make her feel like she was making a difference.
After Saturday’s tornado in Columbus, that changed.
“I wanted to do something to give back to a community I love since I wasn’t born here,” said Wright, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Columbus in the 1970s. “It felt right.”
Wright was one of more than 100 volunteers that came from as near as Columbus and West Point and as far as Montana to the Trotter Convention Center to register with the United Way of Lowndes County. Volunteers could choose to work inside the center, coordinating where and when to send volunteers, or to be one of the volunteers sent out into the community.
“We say the people going out into the community are our ‘boots on the ground,'” said United Way Interim Director Renee Sanders, the point of contact for all volunteers. “And we call the people (in the Trotter) our volunteers. That way, we don’t get them confused.”
Outside the Trotter, friends and neighbors talked on courtyard benches before going inside to report downed trees, broken fences and windows, damaged roofs or debris in the street. Local Rotary and Exchange Club members distributed free doughnuts, chips, coffee and bottled water. Some residents formed a circle near the front fence to pray for a woman whose home was damaged in the storm. Later in the day, employees from Sonic gave free hot sandwiches.
“These are our neighbors,” said Linda Wilson, who came from West Point with her husband Joe Wilson to register to volunteer, along with other members of their church. “If you can’t help them, who can you help?”
“This is a challenge to see how we respond to God’s calling,” Joe Wilson added. “We’ve got to respond well to this. And this is how we do that.”
On the other side of the Trotter from the volunteer command center, almost 200 Columbus residents lined up throughout the day to report damaged homes, streets and buildings. Those reports are given to volunteers registered with United Way, who are asked to go and respond to those individual needs.
“That’s why we interview them,” Sanders said. “We have to make sure their skills are a good match. We don’t want someone who can’t operate a chainsaw cutting up a tree.”
Registered volunteers not able to repair homes or haul debris can choose to remain in the Trotter, interviewing new volunteers about their skills and making sure they fill out the requisite liability forms. They also ensure that people returning from their sites fill out reports that show the hours they volunteered and what they did during that time.
Sanders said it’s important all volunteers report their hours to United Way, because volunteer hours during a disaster help determine how much federal aid the city will receive.
“No matter where they are or what they’ve been doing, even since Saturday, we want to know,” Sanders said. “Anyone who’s volunteered can come in or call and let us know.”
‘This just shows what our community can do’
Gov. Phil Bryant arrived in Columbus Wednesday morning to tour the areas where the EF-3 tornado struck the hardest and speak with first responders and city officials about what the city needs, and what still needs to be done, for disaster recovery.
“We will be doing everything we can to help people that live here stay here,” Bryant said, adding that he is prepared to ask the state Legislature for emergency appropriations if needed.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is still completing a damage assessment in Columbus and Lowndes County, and Columbus Light and Water and Atmos Energy employees are still in the process of shutting off power and gas to homes damaged by the tornado and flooding. MEMA will request federal assistance on behalf of the city once their damage assessment is complete.
“People are still living in their damaged homes,” CLW CEO Todd Gale said. “So when we have to turn the power off, we’re encouraging them to go to the shelter.”
The American Red Cross shelter at Townsend Community Center on 15th Street South will remain open “as long as needed,” said North Mississippi Red Cross Executive Director John Brown. Currently, 10 people are staying overnight at the shelter, which can hold up to 50 occupants.
“Those volunteers are prepared to be here as long as needed,” he said. “They’ll probably be there for weeks.”
Columbus Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency Director Cindy Lawrence urged law enforcement officials and CLW and Atmos workers to notify people living in damaged homes that the shelter is an option for them.
“Sometimes people are proud, or they have a health concern and don’t want to be around other people,” she said. “But we don’t want them in a damaged or dangerous building.”
Lawrence added residents needing a ride to the Townsend Community Center shelter can call the EMA office and ask for a ride. A police officer or another city or county employee will come and pick them up.
Mayor Robert Smith praised all the volunteers, agencies and first responders that have worked during the disaster recovery efforts to protect and care for Columbus residents.
“This just shows what our community can do when we come together,” he said.
Residents are asked to report damage to their property, even if they don’t need assistance to repair it. City officials say that helps state and federal agencies obtain a more accurate picture of the amount of damage Columbus incurred.
To reach the EMA office and request transportation to Townsend Community Center, call 662-329-5110.
To report volunteer hours or ask about volunteer work, call 662-370-8600, 662-370-8602 or 662-370-8603. The Trotter will be open for volunteers and those in need from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
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