Local news stations captured the mile-wide tornado as it ripped through Tuscaloosa County.
In the aftermath of the April 27 tornadoes that ripped through the South, the United Saints were able to mobilize a team of emergency relief volunteers and were actively providing services in the most crucial time of need in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As a result of the impact of our organization and the collective efforts of the community, the United Saints are now established as a fixture in the city of Tuscaloosa to continue to lead volunteers in rebuilding efforts and strengthen our partnerships with local organizations.
By providing economically disadvantaged residents with resources and encouragement, we can restore a sense of community pride. As volunteers, we grow personally through the experience of caring, and the giving of our hands and our hearts.
Our goals have evolved to meet the changing needs of the Tuscaloosa community. Our projects are completed with the help of volunteers, who come from across the country to provide sweat equity and leadership.
Our current areas of activity include:
- Housing—interviewing homeowners, roofing, gutter repair, siding, gutting, sheet rock and drywall installation, mudding, priming and painting.
- Restoration of neighborhoods—community cleanup, grounds beautification, community art projects, etc.
- Restoring and strengthening the sense of community—surveying homeowners and encouraging them to get involved in their own projects, and encouraging neighbors to join together as they help each other fulfill their needs and meet the community’s goals.
The projected outcomes of these activities are to assist homeowners in returning to their homes, restore community pride, and increase community involvement through volunteerism. The final outcome and our ultimate aim is the restoration of not just a few homes, but whole blocks, neighborhoods, and communities.
We strive to match the needs of this community and to lift Tuscaloosa to its healthy and vibrant potential. With the participation of local, national, and international volunteers, we will continue engaging and assisting homeowners, along with their families and friends, and providing training, so that they can eventually lead their own community projects.
For more information on the April tornadoes, follow the links below:
Wikipedia: April tornado outbreak
You can find a video of our first experiences on the ground after we mobilized to Tuscaloosa here.