6/15/2008

By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

CHAPMAN -- Bill and Katie Allen, Abilene, were among more than 950 people who flooded Chapman on Saturday to help out.

Most submersed themselves into the tedious chore of clearing the devastation from the small town that was ravaged by a tornado Wednesday night, killing one person and injuring three.

Almost all of the volunteers were sweat-soaked by 9 a.m. and were happy to grab a bottle of cold water whenever a golf cart or four-wheel all-terrain vehicle came by.

"We felt it was our job to help out," Bill Allen said.

The couple planned to attend the Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina on Saturday, but instead, they answered the call from Chapman.

"As soon as they said they needed volunteers, there was no thinking about it. We were here," he said.

Almost all were there to do a job that in a broad scope appeared overwhelming.

But there were a few who grabbed a new pair of work gloves, stuck them in a back pocket and didn't help much.

It's a common occurrence, said volunteer coordinator James Bond of Green. He's the disaster response manager of World Hope International.

Some volunteers were watching instead of working, he said, and didn't heed the briefing they received before being shuttled to town, where people were struggling to put their lives back together.

"This is not a photo op. This is life. These people just got kicked in the teeth," Bond said. "There was a little bit of sightseeing and what-not."

To be fair, Bond said it became hot Saturday as temperatures boiled to 90 degrees.

Some were confused as to what they could do. For liability reasons, Chapman school officials would only allow employees into the school buildings.

When football players from Abilene arrived, eager to help, they opted to pitch in at other places than the school.

"If they're helping some of these families, that's good," Jeff Geist, Cowboys' head football coach.

Despite some glitches, Bond said the goal of getting streets, alleys and gutters cleared of debris was surpassed.

"It's stunning the amount of work that got done today," he said.

The biggest problem was not work ethic but managing the mass of people, cars, trucks and equipment, he said.

There were really more volunteers than the system could manage, said Nancy Klostermeyer, executive director of the Volunteer Connection, Salina, who was helping at the volunteer reception center at the Kansas Auto Racing Museum.

"There aren't that many supervisors. There are limits to what people can go and do," she said.

Bond announced a change for today's recovery efforts. Only 500 volunteers will be allowed in.

"It was a decision from the command that there were some public safety issues of too much congestion in town," he said.

Chapman will be "sectored off," Bond said, and volunteers will be working only in the north half. City workers will begin debris removal on the south half.

Volunteer workers will be issued wristbands, he said.

Crowds formed at the tennis courts, where agencies congregated to meet volunteer needs, especially at lunch.

A long line formed from a barbecue grill, where members of the Calvary Free Will Baptist Church, Abilene and Patriot Guard were cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for volunteers.

They fed 350 people Friday and had enough food for 500 Saturday, far short of the need.

"We'll keep cooking as long as we can. We'll take all the donations we can get," said Rev. Richard Middleton.

To donate, call 819-2643 or (785) 200-4062.

Nearby the church table was a booth co-sponsored by the Mosburg Mini-Mart, Enterprise, and the Glasco Locker Plant. Manning the feeding operation were brothers John Mosburg, co-owner of the mini-mart, and Doug Mosburg, who works at the locker plant.

Waiting to eat were volunteers Gene Corey, Salina, Tony Nunn, Longford, and Joe Fisher, Chapman. His home sustained little damage. All three work at Philips Lighting, Salina.

"We're just helping out others were weren't so fortunate," Fisher said.

"It's a total mess. I couldn't imagine being somebody whose house was totally blown away," Corey said.

The amount of people working Saturday was remarkable, Nunn said.

"I'm amazed at the equipment coming to town," Corey said.

Salina Red Cross volunteer Mary Lemon was observing the fellowship as she passed out bottles of cold water. Her colleagues handed out sandwiches

"It's people talking to strangers. They find out what they have in common, and it's usually their spirit," Lemon said.

There were people handing out rakes and shovels, tarps, tents, gloves and trash bags, and ice and soft drinks. Tent shelters were popping up so people could get out of the sun. Salvation Army volunteers were spraying sunscreen on the workers.

"It's good what God can do when a community comes together," said Fred Altman of the West View Community Church in Manhattan.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.