Tornadoes Rewrite Job Descriptions
Scenes like this one greeted two Allies in Minneapolis who went door to door the day after tornadoes struck.
Had it been a typical day, Ally Jillian Clearman would have been recruiting volunteers for a social service agency in Minneapolis. Another Ally, Latia Butler, would have been coordinating a lending library. But this was no ordinary day. Three tornadoes had just struck the northern part of the city, and all job descriptions went out the window.
The May 22 tornadoes killed one person, injured at least 30 others, knocked out power to thousands, closed schools, and sent hundreds of North Minneapolis residents hunting for temporary shelter. That first day, city residents needed coolers to store food and electricity to re-charge cell phones – critical for tracking down assistance, finding a place to stay, or checking in on loved ones.
Jillian and Latia soon got their marching orders: Go find and help people in need. As they canvassed damaged neighborhoods, they navigated downed power lines, downed trees, and twisted sidewalks to let people know where to get help.
“I’ve seen tornadoes before,” said Jillian, who grew up in Iowa. “But this was – I don’t know. I kept thinking we were going to come to the edge of it. And then we’d get to the end of the street and look down the block and realize, no, this block’s just as torn up as the last one.”
Latia’s shock hit closer to home. These torn-up streets were ones she had known since childhood. “I’m used to seeing some decent houses here,” she recalls thinking. “And now I see nothing.”
Jillian and Latia were among thousands who donated time and resources to help tornado victims. As the immediate emergency ebbed, Latia and Jillian transitioned back to their usual duties – for the most part. “It’s getting better but it’ll take time and it’ll take continued effort,” said Jillian.
Perhaps even more impressive than the tornado’s power, both agree, is the power of community they witnessed. In a neighborhood where a many live on a little and where people didn’t always get along, everyone has pulled together.
“I have never seen this many people come together like they did around here,” said Latia. “It became a family, everybody helping each other out, coming together with transportation, with resources, with housing – and that is what truly inspired me the most about this.”
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