ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY! The team of AmeriCorps* VISTA members assigned to the Walker County Area and Northwest Alabama Long Term Recovery Committee have been placed in areas devastated by the April 27th 2011 Tornadoes. VISTAs serving in this capacity were expected to co-ordinate volunteers, supplies and services in Walker, Marion, Winston, Franklin and Lauderdale Counties. Their work has been the only way some of these small communities have been able to make haste with the debris removal and be able to take the next step toward permanent recovery. This was a daunting task with volunteers and supplies coming in from all over the United States. This LTR Team has provided continuity in this long term disaster response by recruiting, tracking, training and giving support to the hosts of individual and organized groups both local and national coming ready to volunteer. These VISTAs are working in areas were almost the entire community was lost and still there is work to be done. Through their help many families are back living in their homes. These families often say they could not have survived without this team.
The LTR Team is working with a variety of groups. NOMADS and Habitat for Humanity will be sending alternating groups for several months. YAH the Mennonites are leaving soon for planting season and have agreed to send groups back in the fall. Eva Fortenberry and Robin Cury AmeriCorps* VISTAs have had the services of a group of boys (S.A.E.) from UNA on the past two Saturdays, they have finished building a deck, rafters on a house, leveling the ground and sodding at the Memorial Park in Phil Campbell,. They are doing 30 hours of community service for partying while on probation for the same thing. They felt so good about what they were doing some are coming back to help get the Memorial Park ready for Saturday’s dedication to commemorate the 1st anniversary as well as help in the future. Girl Scouts from New York used their Spring Break to come help the community of Phil Campbell. This team completed two decks for an elderly man who lost everything and another man who lost everything and is now battling cancer. NOMADS from Kentucky and Ohio are finishing up his home by installing siding and roofing. These groups loved how hopeful and friendly everyone was. Lauren Vance, AmeriCorps* VISTA in Cordova just got to help with the special event “Bo Bikes Bama” which hopes to raise $1,000.000 for tornado victims. Lauren also spearheaded the Tree Planting event in Cordova. Today is the 1st Anniversary of the deadly and devastating tornadoes still there is a lot of work to be done. The LTR Team has loved working with all the different volunteers and groups because their presence brings hope back to these precious communities. There still is a lot to be done but with this dedicated team of VISTAs we hope to give these communities renewed hope.