As recovery efforts continue following April 27’s devastating tornado, one UA alumna is working to organize efforts during Memorial Day weekend.
Maegan Fuller, a 2009 graduate of the University, is organizing a group to aid in relief throughout the city during the weekend. The effort began with a Facebook event in the immediate aftermath of the tornado titled “Memorial Day Weekend in Tuscaloosa – Let’s Save Our Town.”
The event attracted a large amount of interest, gaining more than 4,500 virtual attendees. Fuller said she was overwhelmed by the response. “Once it started getting to 500 or 600 [Facebook attendees], I was stressing a little bit,” she said.
Despite the big following on Facebook, Fuller currently has about 150 people who have signed up to come help volunteer over the weekend. She created a website where people could register and is working with the city to credential volunteers.
However, Fuller said she expects more than her group to make a special trip to Tuscaloosa for the weekend to help out. “It’s not just the 150 people that have come to sign up with me,” she said.
Volunteers will work with Samartian’s Purse, Temporary Emergency Services and various church groups to help with debris removal and donation sorting and delivery.
Fuller said she has worked with the University to acquire volunteer housing in Rose Towers. Certain volunteer groups can stay in the campus dormitory for $10 a night, according to UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen.
Priority is given to different groups in the following order: official UA-affiliated or sponsored groups, then unofficial UA-affiliated groups (such as self-organized student, parent, staff ,or alum groups; UA employees acting of their own accord), then volunteer groups affiliated with other institutions of higher learning, then national and state volunteer agencies and then independent volunteer groups.
Fuller estimated that 95 percent of the people in her group were affiliated with the University in some way.
She said UA students and alumni should give back to the city of Tuscaloosa, and she hopes students will continue to volunteer during fall and spring semesters.
“Not being here or going home for the summer, [students] may think [the city] is going to be ready for football season,” she said. “That’s not the case. They’re going to need help for quite a long time.”
Fuller said she could accept up to 200 volunteers total to help with the efforts she is organizing. People still interested in helping can contact Fuller at [email protected].
