From Tragedy to Triumph: A Joplin Tornado Volunteer's Firsthand Account

Creve Coeur resident Terri Fenwick volunteers with Service International, a Chesterfield-based charity that responds to natural disasters. She's volunteered in six disaster areas in the years she's worked with the charity, including the 2006 tsunami in Sri Lanka and Hurricane Katrina. The May 22 tornado in Joplin, MO, was unique, she said. She offered the following firsthand account of what she saw in her time in Joplin and why she chooses to volunteer with Service International.

The situation is Joplin is unlike anything I’ve seen in the six-plus years I’ve been a Service International disaster relief volunteer in the U.S. and abroad. As we drove into what once was Joplin’s busy commercial and residential district, it looked as if an atomic bomb had literally dropped in the center of the city. As far as the eye could see, there was massive destruction. The devastating tornado stretched 1-mile wide and was on the ground for 13 harrowing miles. Buildings large and small were leveled to the ground in heaps of twisted metal, wood, glass and debris. Vehicles were turned into what looked like balls of aluminum foil so that you could barely recognize what they were. I have never seen anything like it.

As we drove through the worst part of the tornado’s path, the massive clean-up effort was evident and progressive. There were relief groups from the Joplin area as well as many other cities—churches, organizations, corporations, as well as people who just showed up because they wanted to help in any way they could. The traffic was thick with locals who were trying to get back into a normal routine, as well as people from all over the U.S. who came to see for themselves what happened to the city of Joplin.

Unlike other disaster areas I’ve worked where clean-up areas were not accessible, I was surprised to see that travelers were allowed to drive the streets that were cleaned off in order to get a firsthand look at once was beautiful, thriving neighborhoods and commercial and industrial parts of Joplin.

We were fortunate enough to meet and talk to people who survived the storm and who gave us their amazing stories of terror that they chose to turn into triumph despite the tragic loss of family, friends and their homes. We witnessed a remarkable sense of pride in their community, and listened to their thankfulness that God spared their lives.

Some may choose to rebuild in Joplin, others may not—but I truly believe that Joplin will come back better, stronger and more unified in the coming years. The spirit of the people of Joplin is a wonderful example of faith, hope and perseverance that I hope will be a testimony to anyone who may be going through a storm of their own now or in the future.

Although I have a full-time job in St. Louis at CRB Consulting Engineers Inc. in the Westport Plaza area, my volunteer time with Service International is where my heart is. It’s what I am called by God to do, and I’m thankful for the privilege I have to honor God by helping those in need. Volunteering gives me a chance to take a step back from where I am in my personal life and what I perceive my needs to be. It lets me turn my attention to the needs of others who are going through difficult times or to work in our local neighborhoods helping families who are struggling. That’s what Service International is all about—honoring God by helping people.

In my opinion, there’s no greater way to spend any free time I have than by volunteering with and Service International. For me, I enjoy the physical part of disaster relief work wherever Service International is called. Even though I personally enjoy the physical labor involved, there are many other less physical ways men and women of all ages can help out. All you have to do is contact Service International for more information, or contact your church or community websites to find a volunteer group in your area.