March 16, 2009 issue
MDS cleans up after Kentucky ice storms
By Barb WeaverLOUISVILLE, Ky. — In 10 days of cleaning up after ice storms, Mennonite Disaster Service volunteer Steve Campbell saw God’s hand at work.
MDS volunteers cut tree branches after an ice storm in Louisville, Ky. — Photo provided by MDS
“It was a great experience; it was a blessing,” said Campbell, who worked in Louisville with the MDS Emergency Response Team from Pennsylvania. “It was amazing to see how much was accomplished.”
Over the last month, several Emergency Response Teams traveled to various locations in Kentucky to help local MDS volunteers with cleanup efforts.
Ice storms in January left much of the state without power and littered neighborhoods with downed trees and limbs. In some areas damage was severe enough to warrant heavy equipment.
MDS volunteers Roger Claassen of Nebraska and Jim and Phil Eicher of Indiana arrived in southern Kentucky in early February, bringing equipment and volunteers. A group from New York and another from Pennsylvania worked in the Benton, Hopkinsville, Liberty and Lincoln City areas.
Campbell reported that more than 170 properties were cleaned up in the Louisville area alone.
Local churches provided lodging, volunteers provided vans and drivers, and local groups coordinated the response with MDS region and unit leaders.
Jerry Klassen, MDS disaster response coordinator, spent time in Kentucky to assist with the logistics.
“I say praise the Lord for all the partners who worked hard with the many different, all-important pieces to bring this help to many folks,” he said.
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