|
The Human Spirit
In 1998, I became part of Class V at the Denver campus. After five months of working in various projects in many states, we were sent to Oklahoma City to collaborate on a community gardening project.
On May 3, 1999, while I was outside cleaning vans with one of my teammates, I noticed that dark clouds were building. Casually, the director joked that tornadoes never hit this part of the state.
That night, on our way to the Laundromat, the radio broadcaster issued the first tornado warning. As the clouds continued to darken, we turned back to the church where we were living. The relaxed atmosphere there had turned to one of urgency and concern.
Fifteen of us huddled around a radio in the basement, listening to reports of tornadoes around Oklahoma City. We knew that as the minutes passed, people's homes were being destroyed, lives were being lost. The radio broadcaster was unable to tell which direction the largest of tornadoes was heading. There was really nothing to say—only thoughts of how soon we could go outside to help.
When we woke up the next morning, tornadoes were still touching the ground. Within 24 hours, we had packed our things and moved to a nearby motel to join a group of Red Cross workers. Our first assignment was at a facility where we assisted families who were in desperate need of food, clothing, and shelter. Thousands of homes were either damaged or destroyed. Each family that I worked with was thankful to be alive and to be getting help. We were soon transferred to a service center in a different part of the city where families could come in during the day and receive assistance.
I had the chance during this assignment to drive out into the community and see the damage to homes. I will never forget the destruction. In places, nothing was left—the F5 tornado stripped trees of bark and embedded grass into walls, yet left a carton of eggs in a lawn completely unbroken.
The most powerful part of this experience was seeing the spirit of victims who had lost everything. Signs that said "For Sale" were posted in front of homes that didn't exist anymore. "Gone With the Wind" and "Off to See the Wizard" were also posted.
Suddenly, material possessions did not matter anymore. Community, compassion, and strength brought this city even closer. When we left Oklahoma City, it was a bittersweet moment, but I knew that even though we were gone, every neighbor, friend, and community member would help each other get through this difficult time.
When our country faces adversity, the human spirit responds to overcome it—and the human spirit I saw in Oklahoma City was something I'll never forget. |
Forms
