The Gift of Love

[Giulia]

I went to our Cookeville Community Center today to drop off a small box of  canned goods.  They really didn't want to take it, but because it was small enough to fit, they made an exception.

I sent in an email to helpnow@putnamcountytn.gov which said:  "I have a 16" chainsaw and could come and help cut up some of the smaller debris (if there is any).  Let me know if you want my help. Phone XXXXXX.   Last I heard no more volunteers were needed.  How beautiful is THAT!"

I didn't tell them I was 70 years old.  Figured they might not accept my offer!  lol

This was was the response:

Due to an overwhelming amount of people reaching out, this auto-reply has been set up with some common questions.

Volunteers, thank you for your interest! We are overwhelmed with responses for this and are very appreciative! For today, we are asking volunteers to stay clear of the impacted area while crews work to make the area safe for volunteers. You can stay updated on volunteer opportunities by following the Putnam County EMAs Facebook page.

For those of you that have contacted us with resources and equipment, we will add you to a list of resources and may contact you at any point. Thank you for all of these generous offers.

As for donations, we are temporarily asking for only financial contributions at this time. Our donation center is currently full, but we will be in need again in the future.

For financial contributions, the Cookeville Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund has been opened for monetary donations. You may take them to any of the 19 Bank of Putnam County branches to contribute.

helpnow@CookevillePutnamCountyTornado

If you are offering resources to the impacted people, it is a good idea to post those resources to Hip Cookeville and Cookeville Strong Facebook pages.

If you need resources, please call 931-646-INFO (4636).

Thank you again for reaching out!

And then I think about the fact that our state had the first coronavirus stat today.  Life's funny, isn't it?  And I have no doubt whatsoever that we shall overcome.

Hate keeps some of us together with such an awful passion, but LOVE does too.  It's quieter.  And Love heals where Hate hurts.  I am blessed to live in this community.  Just - had to put it out there somewhere.  And the Where is on EX.  Because I know the hearts that are here who understand exactly what I'm talking about.

When you live in a place where every day people are just genuinely NICE, helpful, caring, go out of their way to help you, talk to you, pass the time of day... well  that's kind of like what living in Heaven is to my mind.  

Be full of Love.  Love is what keeps our quits.  When you think about it.  Love for that Best part of us.

[Kdot1st]

So, who's providing hot meals & shelter to the displaced & the crews? Surely they can't mean they don't need any kind of help? What do they mean make the area safe for volunteers? That makes no sense. I saw the piles of rubble & I would assume they would need help sifting through & moving all that before it rains again. 

There's volunteers all over Nashville. Thousands of adults & children with gloves picking up people's property putting it in boxes... cutting limbs & dragging them to the street... handing out sandwiches. 

A church from 1906 was trying to save some of their bricks off the ground so they could replace them because they don't make them that way anymore & people were carefully picking them up & stacking them 1 at a time. 

People were just stopping at people's houses asking if they'd like help. One family came from Chattanooga. 

In the meantime, Nashville Electric Service is trying to repair poles & lines to get power back on

Many famous people have donated lots of money. I saw Gavin DeGraw answering phones for a telethon on channel 4.

It's so heartwarming

[Giulia]

Uh what they mean is, they really don't need any more volunteers.  This is a very small community.  The churches and others are providing hot meals and shelter to those in need.  But there are SO MANY people who have offered to go to the sites to help out - there simply isn't any more room for them, literally.  And YES they need to make it safe for the volunteers who go there.  I want to volunteer, but I'm 70 years old and I may trip over something or... hurt myself, which would not exactly help the proceedings.  Children may want to volunteer but any number of things in the debris field might harm them.   Again, the area where this occurred is pretty small.  A lot of damage, but there literally is no more room for cars with volunteers to help.  Physically.  I don't know how else to say it.  

The amount of food and water that has been distributed - there's no place left to house it. There have been so many donations of food, and so many people willing to go to the site and help out - they can't accommodate them all.  And the help that's there needs to be coordinated.  So, just believe me when I say - this place is a gift of love.  And please don't be angry for us.  Your perception is ... different from mine living here.  

[Kdot1st]

Oh, I wasn't mad. I was confused. I probably said it wrong. That's nothing unusual. Some of my confusion was cleared up in your 2nd post. Let me see if I can better explain why I'm confused. 

All I know is what I've seen on TV, which of course could be incorrect. I see thousands of people in Nashville helping. Haven't seen any children doing anything harmful. Just picking up people's clothing & personal items, paper, trash, oh & some older kids picking up bricks. Well the little cutie carrying supplies in the wagon is 6. I hear of restaurants & food trucks taking hot meals to survivors & 1st responders. I see Bobcats moving debris. When it shows Putnam County all I see are news conferences & piles of rubble. I haven't seen many people cleaning up. And that's all I have to go by & I know the media doesn't always portray things exactly correctly. 

Also I've seen several Facebook posts from people from there complaining that Nashville is getting all the help & seems to forget Cookeville. 

But I would believe you more than the media or Facebook so if you say they have all the help they need I believe YOU 100%.

Also I'm just 60 & as much as I would love to go help clear debris I physically cannot. I can't imagine you with a little chainsaw cutting limbs. (If they do accept your help you have got to have somebody take a picture.) Alas, all I can do is pray the everybody gets all the help they need. 

Again, many apologies if I upset you by being confusing about being confused. 

[Giulia]

No apologies necessary.  But this might give you more of an idea of the scope of what happened here.  

[Kdot1st]

Yes that's what I've seen on tv. Now their saying there was actually 3 different tornadoes in Putnam County & the big one was a rare EF4. So much worse than the EF2 & EF3 that hit Nashville. 

They're saying on tv right now that that man is going there to tour the area instead of Nashville with our senators. People should expect traffic to be held up everywhere he goes. 

He just landed here & left in a marine helicopter so should be there soon. I guess that's a good thing as he doesn't say anything stupid. 

I've been praying for everybody. 

[Kdot1st]

Looks like he got there 

[Giulia]

He did.  And we appreciate it.

[sweetplt]

Giulia Such a beautiful post, but one I am not surprised...I lived in Jackson Tn for about 7 years and they were the best people ever...no one ever did I live that the people were so loving and supportive of each other...they taught me so much...if there were oceans in TN I would retire with hubs there...we still have some of our dearest friends in TN...God Bless you and the people of TN ... I have seen the destruction of tornadoes in Jackson some years back and I know how it can break the spirit, but you can’t break the spirit and hearts of the Southerners...xoxoxoxox Colleen 459 DOF 

[MarilynH]

Thank you for sharing this Giulia thankfully there's still so many good Samaritans in this world willing to do whatever they can to be of help, huge caring hug coming your way sweetie. ♥