North Alabamians Providing Tornado Relief

WAAY 31's Olivia Schueller spoke to volunteer organizations in Decatur that drove to Hoover and Ohatchee after tornados devistated the area.

Many of these communities are in need of help.... and some people from north alabama are answering the call.

Two volunteer based organizations in decatur drove to hoover and ohatchee after tornados devistated the area.

Waay 31's olivia schueller spoke to volunteers with those organizations.

She learned how they prepared supplies for areas hit by natural disaster.

Warehouses like the one i'm standing in are crucial after a tornado hits close to north alabama.

Here at united methodist disaster relief warehouse...they have shelves of supplies on hand and ready to go to the communities that need it most.

Sot cindy sandlin tornado buckets, cleaning buckets, wood strips, tarps and shelves were on that box trailer.

Two trucks from the church's warehouse are on their way to ohatchee.

Sandlin we also work with other groups that go in and do assessments of what supplies are needed or they send us requests, do you have these, these or these types of items. if we do, we schedule a commercial truck to travel into the area and deliver.

Both the united methodist disaster relief warehouse and the decatur church of christ's, project unify are volunteer based.

Michael everybody that comes is a volunteer or everything that we bring has been donated.

Cody michael the outreach minister for the decatur church of christ said this is there 28- th disaster relief trip...they just returned from texas and are now headed to hoover.

They're still working with those in fultondale to help with construction.

Michael we take our equipment and our chainsaws down, we try to help people clear their homes that way, that way they can atleast have a place to stay.

As were there we find out what people need the most and we report that back to our congregations, as well and the community and local churches.

Then we come back, pick that stuff up and we bring that all down in our trailers and start handing that stuff out.

Project unify started in 20-18, they went to the carolina's after hurricance florence.

United methodist started collecting supplies after hurricane katrina.

Sandlin katrina was the catalyst of what changed the way disaster relief was handled in the united staes.

Both organizations say throughout the years, they continue to rely on donations and volunteers.

Sandlin we are starting to see an up tick in volunteers as people get vaccinated and the pandemic gets under control.

Michael if we go somewhere someone wants to go, we have a four wheeler for a reason...they can go with us.