The one trend to emerge in the aftermath of the killer April 28 tornado here is this: many of those impacted by the storm are too proud to ask for help. FEMA will shut down its local operations center Thursday, partly due to lack of response. “They don’t have a lot of people coming in,’ said commissioner Charles Glass. ‘They were expecting a lot more people based on the devastation. They don’t understand why people aren’t coming in.’ Glass noted people don’t realize even their insurance deductible may be reimbursable. Although the tornado relief fund has swelled to over $100,000, only two families had applied for funds as of Monday. “We helped both those families,” Kendrick said. To seek assistance, victims need only fill out a ‘help needed’ application at the chamber of commerce office. The same pride has been seen at the relief supply center at the Church of the Nazarene. ”People aren’t coming in and taking advantage of items at the Church of the Nazarene either. They’re saying someone else needs it more but the church has more than everyone could possibly use,’ he said. ‘There’s a time to give and a time to receive. It’s time to let someone give to you,’ Glass said. As CERT team members, Kendrick and Glass were among the first on the scene after the tornado struck and have been involved with the relief effort since. For more information on disaster relief, call 770.358.5884.
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