MOUNTAIN CITY, Texas — When the ice storm hit, Mountain City residents Pauline and Ron Tom were left with a yard filled with downed limbs and branches that kept piling up for two days.
"It's like God doing the finish work, bringing down what was left over. We started working on it and saw it was way beyond our health issues, what we are able to do," Pauline Tom said.
The Toms were left turning to Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) for help. ADRN received more than 1,900 requests for help from Austin-area residents who were physically and financially in need. This weekend, volunteer teams from several ADRN churches ventured into the communities to pick up all the debris left behind by the storm.
Richard Jennings was one of those volunteers. He empathizes with the Toms. He's part of One Chapel Austin.
"It affected us personally. We were without electricity for three days, had to work off our generator. We had some trees fall on our own and within our neighborhood," Jennings said. "Me and my wife and One Chapel, we have the means and the experience to help others when they can't help themselves."
They're cleaning up damage that would have required months of effort from Pauline and Ron Tom.
"Some of the work is heavier than what we can handle," Pauline Tom said.
For the Toms, all the debris was an overwhelming sight to see, but all the help they are getting has turned into a "blessing."
"In Mountain City, there's been a lot of neighbors helping neighbors, the ones who were in the worst situations," Pauline Tom said. "There's just a lot of love in it."
If you need help with debris cleanup or want to volunteer, visit the ADRN website for more information.