LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Nonprofits have come from all over to help Laurel County at a time when they need it most, and a disaster relief organization out of Louisiana has been finding and returning irreplaceable items to tornado victims.
It's day eight of volunteers cleaning up what an EF-4 tornado left behind in London. LEX 18 caught up with one of the non-profits, United Cajun Navy, out of Louisiana. The group of five volunteers has dedicated their time to search and rescue, provide resources, and clean up debris.
"I just see the devastation of it, and then when you're combing through and you're finding these personal belongings and these keepsake items, it's when it kind of hits you the hardest," said Holly Guida, a resource manager and transitional housing specialist for United Cajun Navy.
Guida says the disaster relief group worked on two homes today. They cleaned the debris from six homes in London and helped a handful of others find temporary housing through campers and RVs.
"It really is about working together with what you know, who you have, and who you can kind of lean on in terms of other organizations," explains Guida. "That way you can all come together, work together, and then be able to provide for the people the best possible."
One of the homes the group worked on was Major Leslie Leatherman's. Leatherman was with the Laurel County Fire Department and lost his life while protecting his wife when the tornado hit their home. UCN says Mrs. Leatherman is recovering in a positive direction.
"Nobody had actually gone through, combed and cleaned the property entirely, um. We were able to find a lot of keepsake belongings for them, including his plaques and everything as well," Guida says.
In the second home they worked on, the crew was on the search for a wedding ring in the rubble. "My primary objective is to find important paperwork, important type of like, You know, keepsake items. I mean, Miss McQueen, she had lost her wedding band. Um, it was on the sink when the tornado had hit."
As they work to uncover valuables, they also dedicate their time to returning them to their rightful owners.
"We really are a team that care deeply. We really are people truly out here just giving our best, and I hope that there's more selfless parts out there that are willing to do the same," Guida explains. "I feel like the more people that are willing to help and truly, you know, give their all to communities in need is kind of where it's at right now."
Guida says Major Leslie Leatherman's wedding band was found among the rubble today. They will be back out looking for his wife's wedding ring tomorrow after his funeral service.
If you'd like to volunteer with UCN, you can visit their website for more information.
