On Monday, Park View Elementary School in Cleveland, Tenn., will be filled with students and teachers again after closing for eight school days following the April 27 tornadoes.
But during those days, the school wasn’t just sitting empty.
Behind its walls, Principal Deb Bailey and local volunteer Jerry Redman collected case after case of water, personal supplies and nonperishable foods. An entire hallway at the school was stacked with supplies yards deep and 10 feet tall in spots.
In her conference room, Bailey held hands with tornado victims and shed tears for their losses.
She allowed them a safe place to collect their thoughts, plan their next steps and gather supplies that sustained them through the storm’s immediate aftermath.