When it comes to pitching in after a disaster strikes, two Morrison brothers know what to do.
“I’m not much for blood and bandages, but ready to grab a chainsaw at any time,” said Aaron Young, who along with his brother, Andrew, were part of a contingent that went to Amory, Mississippi, after an EF3 tornado ripped through the town on March 24.
“Seeing the total devastation that some of these folks have gone through, it was rewarding to be able to help at a time when they really don’t know where to turn,” Aaron said.
The Young brothers, as members of 180 Church in Sterling, are on a volunteer list with Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit that specializes in disaster response cleanup work.
In Amory, their work was primarily running chainsaws and skid loaders to remove downed trees and branches for homeowners that requested assistance.
Amory is in the northeastern part of the state – near the Alabama border – and has a population of 6,600.
According to the Youngs, one of the town’s churches reported having more than 400 volunteers from all over the country contributing to the cleanup efforts. Samaritan’s Purse provided the church groups with meals, showers and a place to stay.
Aaron said trees more than 4 feet in diameter and more than 100 years old were toppled, falling on tops of houses, cars and fences.
The volunteers were asked to get the remnants of those fallen trees to the curb, where large trucks made the rounds to pick up the logs and branches before dropping them at a site outside of town, where they were ground up or shredded.
“Service to others is about responding when the need arises, not when it’s most convenient to help,” Aaron said. “Find what you are good at or able to help with and get plugged in to help others.”
