Church In Monrovia

Bleak volunteer turnout Sunday, amid needs food is top priority

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Officials at First Baptist Church, site of Madison County's main volunteer distribution center, attribute it being Mother's Day and the last day before the workweek for a bleak volunteer turnout Sunday.

Compared to last Sunday at the Harvest Youth Club - a makeshift command post for the community's recovery efforts - where throngs of people arrived every 15 minutes or so in vans and buses, only about 20 "self-deployed" volunteers were on hand to assist homeowners on their lots.

Stephen Kirkpatrick, president and chief professional officer of United Way of Madison County, said about 150 volunteers arrived at First Baptist Church on Sunday compared to 800 people on Saturday.

"Last Sunday, there were 900 people," he said. "But we have averaged 200 to 300 volunteers per day."

Now that most of the basic debris removal in neighborhoods directly hit by the deadly series of tornadoes is finished, Kirkpatrick says many homeowners and families just aren't around anymore.

"The past several days have been focused on areas that weren't necessarily hit the hardest, but did sustain damage," he said.

As of now piles of debris decorate street curbs, ready for removal. Organic materials, metallics - examples include refrigerators, garage doors and metal siding - and hazardous waste should be separated into three collections, Kirkpatrick said, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"When individual homeowners call and ask about the removal of debris, we send an assessment team who evaluate the area to see if a volunteer team can handle it," he said.

Kirkpatrick added that volunteer coordinators will be available at First Baptist Church until approximately Wednesday. An official public announcement will be made, however, before services are transferred to telephone.

Since last Sunday, 4,800 volunteers have arrived at First Baptist Church eager to assist in relief efforts. The overall volunteer count in Madison County, Kirkpatrick said, totaled 15,000.

"And we still have lots of resources to call," he said.

Around 3,000 to 4,000 volunteers have registered via 2-1-1 and through Madison County Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters' (MCVOAD) website.

But amid needs, Kirkpatrick said, nonperishable food items are a top priority. Not only are tornado victims in need of meals and food, but also low-income families whose work schedule was temporarily disrupted.

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