‘His hands and feet’: Conference, volunteers reach the Mayfield community after devastating tornado
Johnny Rodman, a volunteer at Mayfield, Ky, stands in front of a house damaged from the December 11 & 12 tornadoes. Rodman, along with other volunteers, helped pick up debris, install generators, box up windows and tarp roofs. Overall, the group helped more than 45 homes. Wednesday, December 15, 2021. (Photo Courtesy of Mike Hewitt.)
Johnny Rodman, member of Oasis Church, Tenn., was shocked at the immense destruction that surrounded him. He had just come from helping in Bowling Green, Ky, after a series of tornadoes swept through Kentucky and Tennessee on the night of December 10 and morning of December 11. Now, he stood in Mayfield, Ky, where extensive devastation left a community wondering how they would recover.
Rodman knew he had get started right away. Along with other volunteers, they set a donation center and handed out supplies such as water, food, wipes, diapers, and baby formula. Throughout the following week, Rodman also led a team that helped pick up debris, install generators, box up windows and tarp roofs. Overall, the group of volunteers helped more than 45 homes.
“While we were there, we were doing what I call putting a band-aid,” Rodman, who has volunteered in six other disaster relief efforts, said. “Eventually, the goal is switching from a band aid to actually fixing the wound.”
The Kentucky-Tennessee Conference (KYTN) also took an active role in aiding the affected communities. Through the donations of churches, members, and ministries from across the country, KYTN was able to provide meals for volunteers and tools for cleanup and reparation.
As of January 4, 2022, KYTN raised over $43,000 with the help of more than 75 donors. According to Mike Hewitt, KYTN Vice President for Administration, most of the funds will eventually go to the affected families as they begin the recovery process.
“In the long term, we’ll be looking for families that need our help the most to basically get their life back together,” Hewitt said. “What's needed the most right now is financial contributions because the healing process will be long.”
But KYTN did not work alone. They received outpouring support from volunteers coming from other conferences. Jim Ingersoll, member at Collegedale Community, Tenn., Church was one of the first individuals to go help. Ingersoll is the program director of 2Serve, a disaster training and response team.
Like Rodman, Ingersoll, along with more than 100 2Serve volunteers, helped set up a Point of Distribution (POD) and helped in the construction and clean-up efforts. In addition, the group offered prayers and distributed pieces of literature such as Steps to Christ.
“We didn’t just help them right here and now,” Ingersoll said. “We brought hope with us and a reminder that there more than what this world has to offer.”
Both Ingersoll and Rodman hope to return and help the community of Mayfield, Ky, in coming months.
“My biggest take away is that God wants us to be his hands and feet,” Rodman said. “There is no reason for people to feel alone in this disaster. ... there's nothing like helping one another in a time of need.”
To make a monetary donation, all funds proceeding to the tornado relief efforts, visit KYTN’s Online Giving page and make a contribute under “KYTN Disaster Relief.”
Tornado destruction at Mayfield, Ky. The Kentucky-Tennessee Conference has been actively involved in aiding the tornado relief efforts by supporting volunteers and aiding the affected families as they begin the recovery process. Wednesday, December 15, 2021. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny Rodman.)
Donation center set up by Johnny Rodman where supplies such as water, food, diapers, and baby formula were handed out to the community. “My biggest take away is that God wants us to be his hands and feet,” Rodman said. “There is no reason for people to feel alone in this disaster. ... there's nothing like helping one another in a time of need.” Wednesday, December 15, 2021. (Photo Courtesy of Johnny Rodman.)