MAYFIELD, KY – Many of you have volunteered your time and resources to help with the Mayfield cleanup. It has been almost two weeks since the tornado and the cleanup has been kept busy. Four New York firefighters even helped with the effort.
The New York Fires & Drums Foundation heard about the tornado on the news, saw the pictures on Facebook, but wanted to see it for themselves. And help wherever possible.
There is not much left of Abraham’s house in Mayfield. He’s trying to make it worth living again for his family, but his hands are tired. With the help of some firefighters, he won’t have to do it alone.
“Just pull up and say, hey, we have a group of 4 strong men and there is all we can do,” says Robert Tolley.
Robert Tolley traveled with a few others from New York to Mayfield to help people like Abraham.
“It was really a sincere story for all of us in New York about what happened to these poor people. We wanted to come down and help in any way we could, ”says Tolley.
They are not afraid of getting their gloves dirty. From putting plywood on to tearing down siding, they are just happy to help.
“I see license plates from all over the country with workers and vehicles coming in trying to help. It’s really amazing and I think it shows the best of our country, “says Tolley.
Neighbors help neighbors – even if they live 1,000 miles apart. As people continue their clean-up work, rubbish is pushed to the side of the road for collection, which is picked up after Christmas. The household garbage collection has been suspended, leaving many people unable to get rid of it.
The City of Mayfield has set up 14 designated dumpsters for household items such as paper, cardboard boxes, discarded groceries and rubbish. Mayor Kathy O’Nan says this is one step closer to returning to normal.
“We’re working around the clock to fix this, but a lot of things have to fit together. So we’re going to get there, but we can never give a specific timeframe,” says O’Nan.
Electronics, devices and dirt are not allowed in the trash cans.
