(ROCKWALL, ROWLETT, TX – Jan. 5, 2016) After tornadoes swept through Rowlett and Garland the day after Christmas, they left a path of destruction in their wake. Seeing the seemingly endless debris and demolished homes can evoke a feeling of hopelessness, but community efforts have become a bright beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
Many local churches have collected materials and distributed them to victims of damaged homes. Items such as food, water, blankets, toiletries, clothes and cleaning supplies were donated by neighbors in heaps to facilitate these efforts.
On Tuesday, Dec. 29 Eastridge Church of Christ in Rockwall received a truckload of supplies from the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc. Hundreds of members arrived at the church at 8:30 a.m. that morning to unload the truck so that the supplies could be distributed as soon as possible.
David Hobbs, who lived in Rowlett his whole childhood, was visiting his family from college this Christmas when the tornado struck. Although he attends University of Southern California and has not been able to visit his family in about a year, he decided to spend his day assisting with the relief efforts at Eastridge.
“I decided to go out and help because it hit close to home,” Hobbs said. “I was here with time and an able body, so in that way it was an easy decision. The tornado went right through my hometown. We were close enough that we could hear the tornado as it went by and went into an inner bathroom for shelter.”
Hobbs said that although his family’s home was unharmed, many of his neighbors’ homes sustained damage.
“There is no way to leave our neighborhood without seeing the damage,” Hobbs said. “The difference between our house and a house with no roof is less than a mile and a half. It is terrifying seeing the damage so close, in the area that I lived in for my entire childhood. It is heartbreaking to see streets littered with debris and houses that have reduced to four walls, or less.”
Hobbs said it was the sight of this destruction that spurred him and his family, like many others, to action.
“The turnout was amazing,” Hobbs said. “There were so many people that showed up to unload the truck that morning that there was a line at least 50 feet of people waiting to be handed another box and there wasn’t any way to get everything off of the truck fast enough. It is always inspiring when you see people working to help their neighbors, more so when people have come together to help families they don’t know and won’t meet.”
Jill Grimes and her family also turned up to help unload the supplies. She made sure her three children ages 8, 7 and 4 were involved in the volunteer efforts too.
“We are so blessed and I want my children to be grateful for what we have,” Grimes said. “We try to give the boys opportunities to see love in action and to show them how to love people the way Jesus loves us.”
Grimes said serving their community and neighbors in need is an important lesson for her kids.
“It’s hard to find things that the little kids can do to help others,” Grimes said. “We want them to learn about this at an early age so that it can become a part of who they are.”
Local churches were not alone in their disaster relief efforts. ASI Gymnastics offered a free day camp for children who lost their homes and families of first responders. Veterinary clinics provided free care for displaced animals and worked to reunite them with their owners. Many restaurants provided discounts to first responders or free meals to those who are working to rebuild their homes.
The Londoner Pub provided free food to all victims of the tornados for several days after the storm. Bartender Brian Sullivan said the restaurant staff felt called to donate their services in support of their community.
“The people in Rowlett are our friends and our neighbors,” Sullivan said. “We think of ourselves as a neighborhood pub, and we just want to help out in any way we can.”
Sullivan said what stood out to him the most was the upwelling of encouragement from other locals. Farmers from around the area contacted the Londoner repeatedly to offer free food for them to cook for the tornado victims. Sullivan said that although they could not accept the food due to FDA regulations, the gesture was still incredibly touching.
As Rowlett and Garland citizens look to rebuild from this crisis, they can rest assured that they are not alone. Hobbs said that as he volunteered, he noticed the joy and willingness from everyone around him to do whatever they could to help.
“Everyone was in good spirits and happy to be serving,” Hobbs said. “There was a near tangible sense of purpose in the air, and I didn’t hear a single complaint about the cold or the early morning.”
Story and photos byJulie Anne White, Blue Ribbon News reporter.
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