Sisters and volunteers paid a visit to London, Kentucky, on May 22 for a quick assessment of damages and volunteer opportunities.
Driving through one of the city’s well-kept neighborhoods, everything looked intact — neatly trimmed lawns, untouched homes, quiet streets. But the reality set in just around the curve in the Lovelace Subdivision.
Homes were gone. Entire structures flattened. One house had only three bright blue walls left standing. A football team sticker still clung to the drywall. The yard was scattered with small, personal items: a book of stickers, post-it notes with daily reminders, ordinary things now painfully out of place.
In one backyard, a resident had carefully covered a spot with a tarp. It was the resting place of her beloved pets, she said. She didn’t want cleanup crews disturbing the burial site. The home that once stood nearby had been completely swept away in last week’s tornado.
The local airport has become a relief hub. Volunteers from across Kentucky and beyond were busy unloading and organizing food, water, cleaning materials, and other essentials to distribute to residents lining up for help. Across the field, a small plane sat half-buried in storm debris.
Catholic ministries and partners are already at work, but the need is great. Recovery won’t happen overnight. Keep an eye out for updates from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Disaster Relief Ministry on upcoming volunteer opportunities.