An effort that began as a way to return the generosity Alabama fans showed toward Auburn University earlier in the year has now become a grassroots phenomenon. Toomer's for Tuscaloosa is helping those who have been affected by the deadly tornados that devastated areas across the state Wednesday.
"We've pretty much become a nationwide organization at this point," said Warren Tidwell, an Auburn resident and organizer of the Facebook group.
Among the states already signed up and organized to send supplies are Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Maine. Groups were called to action and organized through the popular social media sites Facebook and Twitter.
"Wednesday night at 8 p.m. I got online and started the group, which was of course inspired by the act of Alabama fans. It was so classy of them to raise money. I had hoped for a big response, but I had no idea it would be as big as it's been. It's gotten really crazy."
Alabama fans raised $50,000 after word that Auburn's beloved Toomer's oak trees had been poisoned. The check was presented to the Toomer's Trees and Tradition Fund March 25.
Tidwell said the reason he originally focused on Tuscaloosa was because he had no idea of the extent of the storms' impact on the state.
"We had no idea it was our worst hit ever," Tidwell said. "So now, we've gotten to a lot of the affected areas with supplies, water, food, tents and tarps. We're actually about to transition into a large warehouse to work out of as a home base."
The volunteers have been working out of the Five Points Baptist Church in Northport, but Tidwell said they've outgrown the church's gymnasium. The church will be the volunteers' home base until later in the week. Toomers for Tuscaloosa, however, will still be accepting donations through the church's website: www.fivepointsbaptist.com/tornado.
"That website is where we are accepting donations that are going directly to the victims throughout the state," Tidwell said. "We are helping in Tuscaloosa, but we're spreading the donations throughout the state."
Helping smaller towns hit hard by the storms is something Tidwell is most concerned with because he's had experience with relief efforts after natural disasters and knows how easily they can be forgotten.
"I worked in a forgotten area in Mississippi (after Katrina), and the last thing I wanted was for the rest of the state to feel like we forgotten them because of Tuscaloosa," Tidwell said. "We got into communities today where people hadn't eaten in three days. We delivered diapers to areas today where babies were in the same diaper for days or were wrapped in T-shirts or whatever they had."
So far, Tidwell said it's been hard getting help from federal agencies because of red tape.
"The Red Cross is coming to us for needs," Tidwell said. "We're sending stuff to Temporary Emergency Services. We're getting far more stuff out into the community and out into the state of Alabama than the Red Cross, FEMA or any federal agency at this point.
"Don't get me wrong, I love the Red Cross, and they do wonderful work around the world, but in the initial aftermath of a disaster, we don't need red tape. We're cutting through the red tape and getting stuff into the people's hands. When people bring stuff to us, we don't tell them that we don't have approval for that, or we don't have anywhere to put that, or don't bring that. We tell them to bring it, and we'll figure it out."
And people have been giving. He said he's lost track of the number of cars, trucks and tractor-trailers of donations that have showed up at the church, not to mention the monetary donations given through the church website.
"The money we're spending is coming directly from donations to the church," Tidwell said. "The money that is donated is being immediately used. You're looking at somebody at the disaster site going out and getting whatever we need. There's no bureaucracy, there's no red tape, and there's no power struggle. It's simply people helping people and us doing whatever we have to do to get this stuff done."
Through the support of hundreds of volunteers, Tidwell and his crew have been able to ship food and supplies to places from Alberta City to Hackleburg. Donations are brought to the church and sent to those in the most need. People use the Facebook page to ask for help and responses are almost instantaneous.
"You can't beat putting a request out on Facebook or Twitter and getting it responded to in five minutes," Tidwell said. "There's no way we couldn't have done this without social media and the Auburn Family.
"This is a grassroots effort from average Americans from every walk of life, and I honestly believe this will revolutionize relief efforts in the future."
For now, Tidwell is hoping people will stay interested and keep donating because he says the relief effort is a marathon.
"We will need volunteers for a long time. We're going to need supplies for a long time. We're talking about months of recovery around the state. This will not be a few weeks of donations; I need dedicated people who want to work with us."
Tidwell and his wife are Auburn residents. He returned to school and finished his classes at Southern Union two years ago with plans to continue at Auburn. He left his job to coordinate the relief effort and has been offered a job in Opelika whenever he returns to the area.
"Sometimes you have to go out on a limb," Tidwell said.
Those interested in volunteering or donating can find opportunities through the Facebook page by searching for Toomers for Tuscaloosa or via Twitter @Toomers4Ttown. Volunteers can also call Tidwell at 334-444-9100.
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