On Tuesday, May 21, a series of tornadoes hit the midwest leaving destruction and chaos within communities, one of them being North Polk. These resulted in the North Polk schools among others being let out early to ensure the safety of students and staff; what happened hours after the early out, though, was something no one would ever have been prepared for.
Some families of the North Polk community were severely affected by these storms, several losing parts or most of their homes and belongings while also dealing with the mental processing of these tragedies.
Recent graduate Paige Kerr explained that on the physical side after coming out from their shelter she and her family saw the destruction a tornado had left, leaving their garage almost completely gone. She described that most of her family’s decorations and stuffed animals were in their garage and they ended up scattered on the grass due to the tornado, leaving loving memories from her childhood in ruins.
Kerr then expressed that through this, she and her family felt fortunate as most of their house remained intact, as they saw the destruction left in the area around them in other homes. “It was beyond depressing,” Kerr conveyed.
Neighboring Kerr and referring to the mental side, junior Rey Wonnell stated he “think[s] everyone has been very tired and drained after Tuesday.” Like Kerr, Wonnell and his family also experienced damage to their home.
In response to the destruction faced by the community, the staff and administration of North Polk High School gave the opportunity for students and staff to volunteer to help clean up homes in a morning and afternoon shift on Thursday, May 23. Moreover, an email was issued to staff and parents explaining that families could donate a variety of items for those facing the destruction and those helping clean up and rebuild.
In response to the destruction faced by the community, the staff and administration of North Polk High School gave the opportunity for students and staff to volunteer to help clean up homes in a morning and afternoon shift on Thursday, May 23. Moreover, an email was issued to staff and parents explaining that families could donate a variety of items for those facing the destruction and those helping clean up and rebuild.
Spanish teacher Renee Connolly shared that many staff members came up with the idea for a cleanup day and “[o]nce the idea was shared with administration, they came together and have done a wonderful job of organizing things.” Connolly moreover explained that the community for her was many people gathering and helping each other, which is exactly what was done by students and teachers on May 23.
In regards to the importance of the volunteer day, Superintendent Michael Kline stated that “[t]here are only certain things that can be learned in a classroom. This is an opportunity to teach our students how to be great neighbors and generous human beings.” He moreover credited the organization of the event to Principal Seth Poldberg, Vice Principal Rob Sinclair and Transportation Director Marcy Hanigan.
The total number of students who volunteered was 220, this not including the staff, and the amount of items donated showed the commitment of the North Polk families to help each other.
Junior Logan Allen explained that he volunteered in order to support those affected by the natural disaster in order to return to a normal lifestyle through the help of others. Moreover, sophomore Mikhail Mcllravy stated he hoped “by showing unconditional love to those who were affected by the storms in my community, I can inspire others to do the same.”
The response to the volunteering and donating opportunities was “insane…and beyond heartwarming” according to Kerr.
“There are kids and adults that I’ve never seen before that were helping for hours and days…It would have taken us weeks on our own to clean everything up and instead, in just three days almost everything is almost done and our roof is temporarily done,” Kerr expressed.
Moreover, Wonnell conveyed “[i]t has been a rough time for everyone in these affected areas and it’s good to know that there are people in our community willing to come and help us” in response to the support experienced.
In an answer to questions about the event, Poldberg concluded with “[a]nytime people are thinking about or serving others, it can be powerful. Our school and community is ONE in many ways. This was a great example.”
