Center for Catholic Education at UD

By Pono Riddle

According to the Dayton Daily News, 13 tornadoes hit the Dayton area on the night of Memorial Day 2019. Thousands were left without power, water, and/or belongings when day broke on Tuesday morning, May 28^th. The community surrounding one of our ECHO schools, Mother Maria Anna Brunner (Trotwood) experienced severe structural damage particularly in the Trotwood/Westbrook Village area, respectively due to an EF-4 tornado carrying winds up to 170mph. What unfortunately destroyed community, also brought community together.

            Mother Brunner’s gym and gym lobby became the Trotwood Tornado Relief Distribution Center on Thursday from 9am till 8pm and Friday from 9am till noon of the same week. In an assembly-like fashion, families entered and exited with essentials, including but not limited to non-perishable food items––canned, bottled, and boxed––multiple cases of water, toiletries, animal food, and baby supplies. Thanks to generous donors, resources were kept stocked as products were entering and exiting the facility. Deliveries were made especially to those who could not travel to Mother Brunner, thanks to volunteers using their own vehicles. A spaghetti dinner took place in the school cafeteria from 5:30pm till about 8pm Thursday night, open to the public, especially those affected and displaced by the aftermath of the tornadoes. A headcount of over 250 people partook in the meal that night.

            Testimonies were especially heart-wrenching from families, who told of having to rebuild their lives, now for the second time after being displaced from another natural disaster that prompted a move. One in particular hit close to home for Mother Brunner and ECHO staff when they learned of how a student and her family hid in their bathroom, fell asleep, woke up with tons of debris on top of them, and discovered their entire house was destroyed. Another testimony spoke to community with one woman saying, “It’s so heart-breaking to see the damage. Usually we’re always fighting…there’s always something going on. *Voice breaks* But I look around…and I see that everyone helps each other out in the end. People are bringing food and water to each other. I don’t know how we’ll bounce back from this.”

Thankfully, water came by the truckload twice on Thursday––at least 40+ cases of water in each truckload––as well as other drop-offs from others, either in the community or those doing it “just because.” Volunteers from all over Dayton came and helped; you could feel the love and compassion for one another in the room. As Mother Teresa puts it, “Love cannot remain by itself––it has no meaning. Love must be put into action, and that action is service.”