Cutting limbs: Tim Hershey is shown cutting limbs that have fallen on a house in areas of Missouri and Alabama where tornadoes recently have left thousands homeless. Photo Special to The Citizen

A Lehigh Acres man isn’t sure when he’ll return but for now he’s busy helping to clear away a lot of the debris that was left after horrific tornadoes hit Tuscaloosa, Ala., Joplin, Mo., and the surrounding areas and left thousands of people homeless.

Tim Hershey said when the tornadoes began on April 27 and hearing of the hardships many people were going through in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he had no choice but to go and help if he could.

“I could not sleep well. I knew what was going to happen if I didn’t sleep at nights. I knew I had to help,” Hershey said in an email to The Citizen.

“So I packed a couple of bags of clothes and supplies and asked my friend, Toria from the local congregation of LCMS (The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) if I could use her larger minivan instead of my car. He is a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church on Richmond Ave.

“That was mainly for a place to sleep. I headed out at about 10:30 at night a couple of weeks ago and drove until 8 a.m. the next day and then slept for a few hours and finished my drive.” That was at the end of May. He expects to return maybe to Lehigh in early July.

Helping in tornado-stricken areas is Tim Hershey, shown here with another volunteer.

He said that when he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he immediately started trying to contact the local churches to see what he could do to help.

“The Prince of Peace LCNMS from Saint Charles, Illinois, joined me with a crew of seven and we immediately set out to work with the local people with various tasks ranging from cutting trees from homes and roof tops, ministering to various emotional needs and providing food and water and a warm shower, the only working shower we had.“

Hershey said The Holy Cross LCMS church opened its activities building up to us to work out of and sleep on the floor.

“But they had a great kitchen to cook in and warm showers as well as air conditioning once power was restored,” Hershey said.

He explained that the saw sights like he had never seen before, saying you have to be at a place like this to see the real devastation because you can’t really feel in by watching television.

Timothy Hershey takes a breather after helping in areas where tornadoes have left many homeless.

As one of the neighborhood’s few buildings with running water and restrooms that worked, Holy Cross opened its doors to the community and distributed grilled hot dogs.

Hershey said that why there, he and other proclaimed the Gospel to as many as would receive it including the local AA and NA meetings.

“Some were ready to hear it and some hated us for it,” he said.

After almost collapsing from the relief work, Hershey said he drove back to Lehigh to rest right after the storm hit Joplin, Missouri.

“I already knew that I wouldn’t be staying home long. I rested for three days and then I returned to Tuscaloosa for four days and after worship service on Sunday and working in the community that afternoon, I loaded my car and headed to Joplin where reporters were coming in that it was even worse than Tuscaloosa,” Hershey said.

Even though he had seen devastation in Alabama, it was hard to take in what he saw when he got to Joplin.

“It was worse than Tuscaloosa. After arriving there, it was easy to see that this was a more powerful tornado that left so much devastation and destruction.

“It’s overwhelming,” Hershey said.

“As in Tuscaloosa we have heard amazing stories of God’s grace and disheartening stories of loved ones and friends and neighbors who were killed in the tornado,” Hershey said.

“But no matter who we meet or what the needs, we try to rise to the challenge as best we can and rely on the strength God has given us to serve as servants in these cities.

“As always after helping each resident, we ask if we can pray with them and thank God for sparing their lives and allowing us to serve them,” Hershey said.

These are memories that Hershey will not forget soon. Although the damage was horrific to see on TV, other stories replace the ones of the storm damages but like Hershey says, the hurt is still there and the devastation is there and will be there for a time until the people building back which many say they will do.

Hershey said there were many amazing stories that he heard while helping.

“One included a homeowner named bob in Joplin who seeing the storm bearing down yelled to his wife who joined him in a closet.

“But the closet with its roof still on is the only part of the home left … everything thing else was taken in the tornado,” Hershey said.

Another person that he and others were able to help in Tuscaloosa had a series of hardships including a diagnosis of cancer immediately after the tornadoes.

“We helped them clear debris and rebuild their home in just three days. We have had so many volunteers here to join us just in this area of Joplin since we began … more than 200 in all and some stay on for a day or two and others for as long as a week or two.

“It’s just unbelievable how people are come here to help. HELPS and the Prince of Peace Church have stayed on since the beginning with the exception of a couple of weeks. It is just something you wouldn’t believe, not unless you were here, Hershey said.

He isn’t sure when he will be returning to Lehigh.

“There’s plenty of work to do and it will take a long time before it is all cleared … you just take one day at a time,” he said.

Hershey helped out in Lehigh more than a year ago when there was a food kitchen for the hungry in Lehigh.

Hershey wants to help the soup kitchen being planned at the Lehigh Congregational Church on Leeland Heights Blvd. He tried some time ago open one himself, but was not able to accomplish the task.

“Right now, I am concentrating on helping these people in the tornado-stricken areas of Missouri and Alabama. Where I will be tomorrow only God knows as he leads me.

“This is something I just had to do after seeing God’s children hurt so badly,” he said.

“Please thank Pastor Deb Frysinger of the First Congregation church and Pastor Keith at Naples Grace Lutheran Church as well for their support. Without them I would not have had the gas to get here!” Hershey said in his email.

If you want to help financially, you can mail checks (noting “Tornado Disaster Relief” in the memo line) to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, PO Box 66861, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166-6861. You can also call toll-free 888-930-4438.