West Tenn. Group Helps with Tornado Cleanup in OK
This video is no longer available.
DYER, Tenn. – Dozens of Gibson County residents are on their way to Moore, OK to help with relief efforts after a devastating tornado last month. Several Gibson County churches have banded together to create a disaster response team. About 30 of their volunteers headed out on their first out-of-state mission to help tornado victims in Moore, OK. “We had people pouring in from other states and counties, and just helping, and it was just a blessing, and we want to be that blessing for somebody else,” said volunteer Mandi Hunt. A husband and wife from the Dyer First Assembly of God Church know how it feels to recover from catastrophe. Chris and Mandi Hunt’s home was destroyed by an EF-3 tornado seven years ago. “You’ll never forget it,” Hunt said. “The sounds, the noises – it was unreal.” The team will head to Oklahoma with a truck full of donations, like food and water, along with every day necessities they spent the past three weeks collecting. “We’ve just had tremendous support from people in the community,” said Pastor Mark Kirkpatrick, Dyer First Assembly of God. “They’ve been donating things, making contributions to the trip to help us get there and get back.” Volunteers said they are ready to do whatever it takes to help, not only with physical labor, but with emotional support. “It’s not time that heals it, but God heals it,” Hunt said. “It’s still an every day struggle and you do think about that, and not the material things that you lost, but what it could’ve been.” The disaster response team will head back to West Tennessee, Saturday.
