Students interested in helping with tornado relief in Vilonia, Ark., can now sign up in the Mitchell Center in the McInteer building to volunteer during four different time slots on May 2 and 3.
Harding is working with the Vilonia Church of Christ to organize work groups. The church has a variety of work projects, depending on how quickly students get done and how many students participate. The groups will last from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Students will meet in front of the Benson and take buses to the church and are welcome to sign up for more than one time slot.
The Vilonia Church of Christ also invited Harding students to join them on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for regular worship.
“One of the coolest things, I think, is Sunday morning service,” said Hector Felix, who has been working in the Mitchell Center to coordinate the relief work. “It’s going to be neat and encouraging for them to have all these students; … they’ve just been through some rough times.”
There are no relief trips planned beyond the four that are happening this weekend. Felix said the Mitchell Center is not collecting donations, but students can bring supplies with the work groups and leave them at the church. Students should also bring their own water and sack lunch or snack.
Students who are unable to go on the work trips can bring donations to College Church of Christ. According to Rock House intern junior Rebecca Neely, the church is collecting bottled water and drinks, work gloves, storage tubs with lids, trash bags, shovels and other hand tools, gift cards and snack foods.
Junior Julia Copeland is from Vilonia and spent her Wednesday afternoon with her devotional group working on cleanup.
“Being in the midst of the devastation of my hometown is heartbreaking,” Copeland said. “It’s one of those things you truly don’t understand until it happens to you and your town.”
Senior Rachel James got together with a group of about 15 students on Monday to help clean up in Center Hill. James said that the family’s trailer had been moved from its foundation, and they were working to find salvageable materials.
“They really wanted us to find a Pandora bracelet that was extremely sentimental to the woman who lived there, and so we were able to find that,” James said. “We moved wood and piles and just helped clean.”
Copeland encourages students to help out if they are able, even if they don’t think it will impact Vilonia.
“I think it’s important for students to help because, whether they realize it or not, they are making a huge difference,” Copeland said. “Those who lost everything won’t remember in five years they lost their favorite VHS from 1995. What they will remember forever will be the people.”
