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Tyrone church helps out

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizen.com

A team of volunteers from Dogwood Church in Tyrone got a firsthand look at some of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina during a trip last week to Dauphin Island, Ala.

The group worked to clean up a church that was flooded by two feet of water, removing the water, replacing doors and disinfecting the furniture, said Dogwood Pastor Matthew Winn. That church is now being used as a shelter for up to 100 people, he added.

The team also brought along a trailer full of food, water and cleaning supplies, Winn said. Another group that came to Dauphin Island brought along a generator to supply much-needed power, Winn added.

The Dogwood team was the first volunteer group let on the island, Winn said. While there, the west part of the island was still closed, with reports that as many as 70 homes had been destroyed or heavily damaged, Winn said.

Another group from Dogwood Church left Friday evening to assist with hurricane relief efforts on Dauphin Island with chainsaws to clear roads and driveways, and yet another group left Monday headed for Slidell, La., a suburb of New Orleans. That group is coming with a tractor trailer full of water, toiletries and towels; the truck and driver were donated by Fresh Express of Morrow, Winn said.

The plan is for Dogwood to send assistance teams to areas affected by the hurricane every weekend, leaving Friday evenings and returning Monday evenings, Winn said.