Group heading to Iowa to help with tornado relief efforts

In July, 13-year-old Samantha Carriveau will travel to Iowa with other area residents to provide some much needed assitance to a tornado ravaged town.

Alpena residents making the trip will provide assistance to the people of Parkersburg, Iowa. On May 25, Parkersburg was hit by a tornado that destroyed nearly 200 homes.

Carriveau, a Spruce resident, said this will be her first time embarking on such a trip.

"I think it's time for me to start helping people, not only around the community but in other places," she said. "I think it's going to be life changing. I'm going to be going from my house to see what devastation is like there."

Area residents will be in Parkersburg July 13-18. The relief network organizes all of the travel arrangements, accommodations along with where and what relief projects volunteers will work at. A relief network representative will accompany the group through the entire duration of the trip, said Marsha Hoppe, an Alpena resident and the trip's coordinator.

Hoppe said a similar group traveled to Louisiana two years ago through the relief network to provide assistance in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. After the trip she kept in touch with the network and was recently contacted about the needs in Iowa.

"I think it was life changing for all of us," she said of the Louisiana trip. "It was for me and that's why I want to go."

Once in Iowa, the volunteers will be doing activities including cleaning up homes and yards. The assistance could save a homeowner as much as $10,000-$15,000 if they had to hire professional workers to clean their property, Hoppe said.

Hoppe said 20 people, ranging from junior high school age to adults, were signed up to go on the trip as of Thursday, and a maximum of 30 people can go.

Those who are going are in the process of raising money through sponsorships and have approached area organizations to cover the $399 cost. Anyone who is interested in going on the trip must be at least 13 years of age. For more information Hoppe can be contacted at 354-8903.

Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.