In Portage, community rallies behind storm survivors
PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) — The community is rallying behind those affected by Tuesday night’s storms and tornadoes.
In Portage, where an EF2 tornado tore through the area, Consumers Energy offered community members free meals Saturday. People gathered in the parking lot of Kalamazoo First Assembly of God, located at 5550 Oakland Dr., to enjoy lunch on the house.
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Consumers says it’s simply paying it forward.
“We’ve been getting a lot of thanks in the community and we want to say thanks to the community,” Derek Nofz, community affairs manager for the utility, said. “It’s been fantastic to see the groundswell of support from volunteers, from people donating materials, food. Everybody really has been willing to help.”
Among those willing to help is David Barringer, the pastor of Kalamazoo First Assembly of God.
“We have support for people in the middle of just a huge disaster,” he said. “That’s what we’re in the middle of right now.”
The church is a designated Red Cross disaster shelter, so as soon as Tuesday’s storms hit, Barringer knew he was on the clock.
Inside woodtv.com: Southwest Michigan tornadoes
“It took minutes. So we’ve got somebody who lives on site that just drove right on over. Had the place open, ready, so that when the Red Cross got here, they weren’t going to wait for anything,” Barringer said. “They shouldn’t have to wait for anything.”
Since then, the site has served as a safe haven for community members in need. The mayor of Portage previously told News 8 that 280 buildings were damaged by the tornado and 79 homes were deemed uninhabitable, leaving hundreds of people displaced.
“Help people when they come in, find a place — whether it’s to live, to eat, to get clothed or to get materials,” Barringer explained.
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On Saturday, community members enjoying the free meal were also invited to enter the church and grab groceries, cleaning items and trash bags.
The American Red Cross says it has provided over 300 meals since the shelter opened, with 22 residents staying overnight on Friday.
A mobile shower and bathroom unit is now available at First Assembly of God, having been brought to Portage from Chicago, according to the Salvation Army of Kalamazoo. In total, the organization said Saturday it had distributed around 1,300 meals, 2,000 snacks and 2,900 drinks.
The church parking lot hummed with activity Saturday as people poured in, each with their own story.
Portage schools call off Friday as tornado cleanup continues
Anita Mahindroo, a resident of the Chippewa Hills neighborhood, says her home was “devastated.”
“We went upstairs as soon as it went through … and we saw the devastation in our family room upstairs and we knew we had been hit hard,” she said. “Our neighborhood is just piles of trees throughout the road.”
Mahindroo says she is thankful for the outpouring of support.
“The mood is both beautiful and tragic at the same time. Watching people coming in and just feeling like, OK, I can have my hands a little bit more wrapped around my situation because I’ve got food, I’ve got equipment,” Barringer said. “To me, watching people walk away with full cars and full hearts, that’s what this has been about.”
Consumers Energy is also set to offer dinner Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the United Way of South Central Michigan have both established disaster relief funds in the wake of the storm. Portage leaders also directed people to the Michigan Volunteer Registry to find out how they can help.
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