By CHRISTIE NETHERTON, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — Volunteers in Ohio County worked to spread holiday cheer Tuesday night, organizing and handing out the many donations the county has received to those affected by tornadoes.
The county has received an overwhelming amount of donations and support from community members and many outside of the county and even the state, according to Charlie Shields, emergency management director.
Shields said it is indescribable how many donations have been received.
“It doesn’t do any justice to just tell you,” he said. “The community has come together more as a whole than anything I’ve ever seen. I’ve been doing this for 25 years.”
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The many donations, which filled an entire building at the Ohio County Park, were organized by about 50 volunteers for tornado victims to look through and pick up what they needed.
Donations ranged from monetary, gift cards, clothing, toiletries, food, water, pet supplies and many other things.
Volunteers also provided meals, handed out stockings and gift cards to victims. FEMA was also present at the event to provide assistance to anyone affected.
Jody and Michael Sumner, whose home was destroyed on Utley Drive in Hartford, along with two nearby homes of their family members, attended the event with their daughter.
Jody Sumner said the outpouring of support from the community in her family’s time of need has been amazing.
“The community’s just been so good; so we just wanted to show up. My mind’s not really here, but everybody’s just been so good,” she said.
Throughout the entire process, she said there have been people along the way to help.
On the morning the family returned to what was formerly their home, she said there were at least 35 cars lined up the hill to their street of individuals who were there helping to clear debris and provide assistance in any way possible.
“When you walk away from it, there’s no way we should be alive. It’s hard to have everything gone, but at the same time, people have lost a lot worse than material things, so I’m so thankful we all walked away from it,” she said. “We may not have much, but we’re here. This’ll be a Christmas to remember.”
Shields said EMS is still working to clean up debris and make sure everyone who has been affected are being taken care of.
“It’s been nonstop. This whole week’s been nonstop since Friday at 11:30 when the tornado hit. We’ve been out and most of us have only gotten three or four hours of sleep a night and that’s the way we’re going to be until we know everybody’s taken care of,” he said.
The support from volunteers, however, has been helpful along the way, he said.
“It’s just unreal — the community outreach and not only from Ohio County, from other counties. We’ve got people in from Cincinnati; we’ve got people in from St. Louis coming in to help us,” Shields said.
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