All Saints’/Tupelo coordinated two work days in May to help victims of the late April tornadoes that hit Lee County. Both days concentrated on debris removal.
All Saints’ rector, the Rev. Paul Stephens, said the second group, working on May31, spent the morning cleaning up the property of Shirley Goodman, spouse of the Rev. Ray Goodman. Fr. Goodman recently was buried at All Saints.
“We worked at the Goodmans’ house most of the morning and then went to get an assignment from the United Way office, but the office was closed, so we searched on our own,” said Stephens.“ About 50% of the debris has been picked up now and most of the debris work is over. We are now moving into the long-term recovery stage. Homeowners now need skilled carpenters and roofing work.” In addition to providing hands-on assistance, All Saints’ opened its doors to an AmeriCorps group for two weeks. The group worked primarily in Itawamba County. “They worked every day except Memorial Day and left on June 1,” Stephens said.
The next phase of recovery work that All Saints’ will be involved with is helping those who are displaced from the April tornadoes. “We will be providing some economic help. “Our big help will be for those who are under-insured.”
Louisville
In Winston County, the Rev. Lynn Phillips-Gaines, a deacon at Resurrection/Starkville, reported that she identified three women, ages 52, 75, and 85-years-old, who lost houses, cars, and even pets. “These women are the working poor, with no insurance, and lost everything. Two are living in a hotel, and one is living with a daughter. The situation for all of them is dire,” said Phillips-Gaines. Phillips-Gaines is using a grant from Episcopal Relief and Development and money from the Mississippi Disaster Relief Fund administrated by the diocese to help the three women begin to get back on their feet.
