NEW ALBANY —
After tornadoes ripped through the Birmingham area Jan. 23, Pam Lumley couldn’t just sit and do nothing. A native of Birmingham, and with a brother and sister still living in the area, Lumley knew she had to do something.
She decided to pack up her husband’s truck with needed supplies and head south.
“It really hit home. After the tornado I couldn’t reach them [family] and I saw some of the pictures. It just made me sick,” she said.
Luckily, her family members were OK, but her grandmother’s old home, which was still in the family’s possession, was destroyed.
With the help of her friend Cindy Taurman, the two quickly put out the word through Facebook, church groups, friends and real estate agents associated with Lumley’s business, RE/MAX Results, asking for donations. In a few days, she collected $1,000 and a truck load of supplies to help tornado victims — from bottled water to plastic storage tubs and “enough tooth brushes for the entire state of Alabama.” The two left at 6 a.m. on a Tuesday, dropped off their supplies, and helped deliver meals before returning home 36 hours later.
“People brought in all kinds of stuff to the office,” she said. “I was so overwhelmed with the generosity of this community. People who I didn’t even know were making donations. I remember coming into my office and I just started crying. I couldn’t believe it.”
On the back of the pickup truck, Lumley wrote “Tornado Relief from New Albany, IN.” She said motorists honked and gave the thumbs up during the seven-hour drive to the Birmingham area.
Once the two arrived to the stricken areas, they saw total devastation. Cars were tossed around like toys and homes were crumbled leaving many with only the clothes on their backs.
“This was a bigger blessing for me than it was for them,” she said of her relief effort. “They were so overwhelmed and thankful for our help. We were so tired on that Tuesday night but we couldn’t go to sleep. We made a little bit of difference, but they needed so much.”
Lumley said the experience helped put everything is perspective.
“At the end of the day, it’s just stuff,” Lumley said of personal possessions. “We take so much for granted. This also showed me the generosity of the people in this community. When I was down there I just kept thinking, ‘This could be us.’”
Taurman said she was glad she was able to make the trip.
“It was a very moving experience. It was our mission and I am glad I got to be part of it,” Taurman said. “It was just so heartwarming.”
Lifestyles
Related Photos
-
New Albany residents Cindy Taurman and Pam Lumley recently returned from the Birmingham, Ala., area after dropping off donated supplies to victims of a January tornado. Submitted photo
Discussion
Two New Albany women help tornado victims in Alabama
- Lifestyles
-
-
Vietnam veteran receives medals 46 years after active duty ends
- More travelers to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend
-
Why do young white women risk cancer to be tan?
A CDC report out this month found that nearly one in three white women aged 18 to 25 had used a tanning booth in the previous year. White women aged 18 to 21 went the most often, averaging 27.6 sessions per year—that’s over two sessions per month—while nearly 70 percent said they had gone at least 10 times in the last year.
-
Movie preview: "Men In Black 3”
Plot: After 15 years of working with aliens from all across the cosmos, Agent J (Will Smith) is sure he's seen it all. But just when he's getting the hang of the game, he learns that history has inexplicably been rewritten.
-
Movie preview: "Chernobyl Diaries”
Plot: An extreme vacation turns terrifying when a group of friends visit the Chernobyl disaster site, then find themselves stranded in the abandoned city only to discover that they are not alone.
-
A special honor: Georgetown teacher honored for work with special needs students
-
VIDEO: 'Ring of fire' solar eclipse
The solar eclipse that took place Sunday evening was an annular eclipse, one in which the moon blocks almost all of the sun. Some of the best viewing was in Asia, as with this video filmed in Japan.
-
Jerry Finn wins distinguished alumni award
Finn’s service on several boards has helped high school students start philanthropic organizations. He said teaching youth the importance of giving back is not only good for the communities, but also for the children.
-
Rebuild Marysville event raises money for town hit by tornado
Kirsty Travelstead of Marysville explained that as of Saturday morning, more than 300 T-shirts had been sold. For the event they had hopes of raising at least $5,000 from the T-shirts, food sales and the grill raffle.
-
Down & dirty
- More Lifestyles Headlines
-
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
