‘I’ll Do Anything’: Volunteers Travel From Across The Country To Assist Storm Cleanup In Oklahoma

From New Mexico to Virginia, people from all over have come to Green Country to help clean up storm damage. 

Whether they come alone or with groups, they all say they just want to look out for people in need. 

“Thank God for I-40, just zoom from Albuquerque to here, stayed in Weatherford last night, got a good night sleep and a hamburger, so I’m ready to go,” said Nancy Valentine.

The 11-hour drive from New Mexico couldn’t keep Nancy Valentine from helping others.

“I don’t care if I’m scrubbing toilets, they better train me if they want me on a chainsaw, but I’ll do anything,” she said. 

Nancy says she’s wanted to help out with storm damage like this for years, and she saw groups like the Samaritan’s Purse needed help, so she hit the road. 

“This is what Jesus would do, he’s in the middle of people’s greatest heartaches,” she said. 

Samaritan’s Purse is setting up shop inside the Church that Matters. 

Michael Wilson with the church says so many volunteers from out of state have come to help, but the church does need people from the area to also pitch in. 

He says it’s been great to see people helping each other. 

“To be able to see unity, in people no matter what their backgrounds or beliefs, whenever there’s a tragedy it’s our nature to come together and meet that need,” Wilson said. 

For one church group from Clintwood, Virginia, it was never the plan to end up in the Tulsa area. 

The group does a mission trip to Nicaragua every year, but they had travel issues, and the trip was canceled while they were waiting in the airport. 

“We came back to Virginia, and the next day he texted us and said there’s work that needs to be done in Oklahoma, who is in, and we were all like absolutely,” Hannah Dotson said. 

The volunteers say they are happy to be in Oklahoma and feel like it was what was supposed to happen all along. 

“We like helping others, using our blessings to bless them,” Livi Elkins. 

The City of Tulsa is asking if you want to volunteer to help with storm damage in Tulsa, you do need to fill out a form on the city’s website HERE.