BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – The World Renew Disaster Response Services Team is a community service organization from Western Michigan. The group is on a mission to help communities impacted by disasters. it’s why they’ve come to Bluefield, West Viriginia.
They are made up of volunteers from across the United States and as far away as Canada. They’ve come to tackle the tree damage caused by Helene.
Working hand in hand with the city, this team is focusing on cutting down trees, branches, and debris, and then clearing them to the edges of the roads.
Jeff Greenway is the operation program coordinator. He explains their work is driven by the desire to provide support and compassion.
He says, “We are just glad to be here. We’re glad to be able to help out. We’re a faith-based organization and we want people to feel cared for and loved and not forgotten and this is a way that we can help out.”
And that’s the goal of this non-profit organization: to target areas that are often overlooked and underserved.
That’s why Bob Vanden Berg has been volunteering for seven years—to show these communities that they are still valued.
He says, “I find that when I get into places like this. People are weary. They’ve worked hard at doing clean up and there’s still a lot to do. And we come in and. Work alongside them, give them some hope that, yeah, things are going to get better. This is a long process to recover from a disaster.”
As the cleanup continues, the impact of the volunteers’ work goes beyond just clearing debris—it’s about building community and reminding people they are not alone on their road to recovery.
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