In the months following the April 27 tornadoes, more than 23,700 volunteers have devoted more than 3,000 hours of work to debris clearing, not including other areas of volunteer work in Tuscaloosa and its surrounding areas.

Kimberly Montgomery, director of the Tuscaloosa Area Volunteer Reception Center, said with the search and rescue efforts long since over, the community now faces issues with the quality of life of those who were affected.

“Our goal is just to direct and focus the volunteer efforts into the most needed areas, and right now, that is debris clearing,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery is counting on the help of volunteers to rebuild Tuscaloosa.

“This recovery effort is going to take the support of the volunteers because so many landowners are absent and so many miles away,” she said. “We are left to maintain our own community.”

The work of the volunteers includes everything from demolishing dilapidated homes to cutting down trees and sustaining already cleared lots.

“The aim of the work that we do is to return these lots to their natural state. We want to remove anything that would obstruct a lawn mower from mowing,” Montgomery said. “Furthermore, we want to plant grass to prevent erosion and things like that.”

McCarlie Thomas, safety coordinator and site manager at the volunteer center, said that working with the TAVRC has opened his eyes up to see the devastation the storm really caused.

“By actually being out here, I see all the different areas that were affected, and that puts a soft spot in my heart and makes me want to help people as much as I can,” he said.

Thomas’ job at the volunteer center includes giving safety briefings to incoming volunteers and directing them to the lot they will be clearing.

Deloris Warrick, a volunteer at the center, got involved after the media made an announcement that volunteers were needed.

“I smiled when I was told that I’m listed on the website as the Tuscaloosa Volunteer phone bank operator,” Warrick said.

Warrick said that she feels it is her Christian duty to give back to her community.

“The tornado missed me by at least a quarter of a mile, and I was so blessed and felt that God gave me a chance to reach out to others,” Warrick said. “The following Sunday, I signed up at the TAVRC.”

Montgomery, Thomas and Warrick all feel that the volunteer center has had a great impact on the community.

“I think that we have had a tremendous impact on the community because there are citizens out there that were not able to get full insurance on their property, so they haven’t had to come so much out of pocket to clean their land and rebuild their home,” Thomas said.

Warrick said that she is looking forward to the future of Tuscaloosa and its surrounding areas.

“I’m excited for the Alberta City area, knowing how a new facelift will bring more businesses and residences to that area of town,” she said.

Montgomery said that they will be sticking around for as long as the help is needed and urged people to go on their website, ttownvolunteer.com, to register to volunteer, request assistance or to donate.

“For the TAVRC, I hope that as long as there is a need for us we are here and are able to coordinate the volunteer efforts,” Montgomery said. “I hope to see a full recovery where the doors can close and we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done and we will know that people are self-sufficient and well on their way to a better and brighter future than what they had before April 27.”