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.”
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Related Photos
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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
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Two New Albany women help tornado victims in Alabama
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