STL volunteers lend a hand despite suffering storm damage themselves

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Hundreds of volunteers have been helping with cleanup and relief efforts after Friday’s tornado, despite dealing with many of the same problems as the people they’re assisting.

Jay Johnson, the owner of King Auto Repair on North Kingshighway, started serving meals and distributing supplies on Saturday after the storm.

The night before, his shop had been in the path of the tornado as it ripped through his Fountain Park neighborhood.

Johnson’s building lost its roof, HVAC system and electrical hookups in the storm. On Tuesday morning following heavy rains, water was pouring in through a hole where roofers had been working.

But for the past four days he’s had a generator hooked up to his building and grills out front serving meals to anyone ing by. One volunteer said they had served more than one thousand people since Saturday.

“My heart wouldn’t let me think about myself,” Johnson said. “I realized after the tornado that people were displaced. There was no power and nowhere within walking distance to get a bite to eat.”

One woman, Mychel McClain, had been cleaning out her house across the street. She had stopped by King Auto for a slice of pizza and a cold bottle of water.

“I lost power and I had to throw all my food out,” McClain said.

Vonda Jameson, an Urban League staffer, had lost her home a few blocks away on Delmar on Friday afternoon. She had been on her way home when her daughter called to say that the ceiling had caved in on her.

Despite this, Jameson was back at work helping to distribute food and supplies at the Urban League’s headquarters just north of King Auto.

“We’re out here helping others find a place to stay,” she said. “We’re all going through a hard time right now.”

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