The Greater Valley Area wasted no time to step up and donate to their neighbors in Lee County who were devastated by this past weekend’s tornado. The natural disaster killed 23 people and throughout the week local citizens have found different ways to assist in the recovery efforts.

On Monday and Tuesday, the students and faculty at Valley High School collected two semi-tractor trailer trucks full of items to send to Beauregard. Springwood School divided the requested donated items among grade levels throughout the school. Naval Sea Cadets Corps took donations down from LaGrange.

Rep. Debbie Wood, R-Valley, was on the ground actively assisting since the start of the week as well, informing victims of where hotels and shelters are open. On the Greater Valley Area side of Lee County, coaches and athletes at Beulah High School also collected items on Monday. Multiple churches, businesses and schools have opened doors to immediately help the citizens in need.

Social media feeds have been dominated with announcements of how to lend a helping hand. Natural disasters happen all the time around the world, and this one hit only a handful of miles away from home.  No one is safe from becoming a victim of a natural disaster. If Sunday’s storm had been a few miles north, it could be Chambers County picking up the pieces.

Thank goodness it’s not.

This past week has served as a reminder that we live in a great community, one that will do anything it can to benefit its neighbors.  The families that survived the Lee County tornado still have a long road ahead, but the food, water and clothing donations from Chambers County will go a long way in helping them heal.