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This Is Iowa: Greenfield rallies together, showing the 'power of people' after deadly tornado

This Is Iowa: Greenfield rallies together, showing the 'power of people' after deadly tornado
<IN GREENFIELD THIS USED TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW ALL THAT'S LEFT ARE PILES OF DEBRIS WEEKS LATER. BUT THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN AN EF- 4 TORNADO IS THE POWER OF PEOPLE HELPING EACH OTHER THROUGH THIS DISASTER.> The sound of precious belongings turned to trash - echos in Greenfield. <WE WERE DEAD CENTER ON THE TORNADO GOING THROUGH HERE.> Retired Chaplan Gary Freeland and his wife Roseann made it to their basement - <THEN SECONDS LATER...WHOMP! AND YOU KNEW THE ROOF WAS GONE. AND THEN IT WAS DONE AND THAT CONCRETE RAISED AT THE SAME TIME.> - and then crawled out to see total devastation. <(POINTING) THE CONCRETE OVER THERE HAD ONE LITTLE CLOSET ON IT THAT WAS STANDING.> Their house - now a gaping hole. Surrounded by dusty debris. <WE STARTED THE DAY WITH A HOUSE AND CARS. WE ENDED THE DAY HOMELESS AND NO CARS. YEAH, NO BED. ALL WE HAD WAS GOD AND IT WAS THE MOST PEACEFUL FEELING I HAD THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.> Despite losing it all - They find peace in the miracles from that day <IT LIFTED RIGHT AS IT GOT TO US OR WE MIGHT HAVE GONE WITH IT.> And the tiny treasures that are resurrected. <THERE YOU GO. GRAB IT. GRAB IT. GOOD JOB HONEY!> Like this photo that doesn't belong to them - A discovery speckled in dirt - that sparks joy. <I WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED IF I FOUND A PICTURE OF MY KIDS AGAIN SOMEWHERE.> That picture of a chubby cheeked baby - now joins hundreds of lost photos here at United Methodist Church in Greenfield. Each one tells a story - memories of fishing trips and smiling sisters. <IN HERE WE HAVE KLEENEX, CLEANING SUPPLIES WHICH PEOPLE NEED...BATTERIES, LAUNDRY DETERGENT, TRASH BAGS...> In the next room... supplies are ready for whoever needs them. Church pews hold stacks of donated clothes - <TAKE THESE OUT SWEETHEART...> And families with the tiniest tornado survivors - can stop by áthisá room for help. <THEY DON'T WANT TO COME IN BECAUSE THEY THINK OTHER PEOPLE ARE WORSE OFF THAN THEY ARE. AND SO THEY COME IN AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE, AND SO IT'S LIKE WOW CAN I HAVE SOME OF THIS AND WE'RE LIKE YES! TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED AND COME BACK.> Connie Lundy is the retired elementary school principal - She now leads the army of volunteers. <YOU GREET PEOPLE AS YOU COME IN. YOU SHOW THEN WHERE THINGS ARE. IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING WE TRY TO FIND IT. THERE WAS A WOMAN IN TODAY THAT WE JUST SAT AND TALKED, AND THAT WAS NICE.> A listening ear and a warm meal - <GO UP THERE TO YOUR RIGHT AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN EAT.> Are therapy here in Greenfield. A free lunch is served nearly every day - With little helpers doing the work - <I TOLD YOU I COULD DO IT.> To bring smiles to people who no longer have a kitchen to eat in. <DO YOU WANT CHEESE ON YOUR SLOPPY JOE?> Dennis Kreis is blind - and barely made it out of the tornado alive. <THE MYSTERY PART IS SOMEONE GOT DOWN WITH ME IN THAT BASEMENT AND WE DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS, BUT HE HELPED ME GET UP ON A COUNTER AND THE OTHER GUYS SAID STICK YOUR HANDS UP AND WE WILL PULL YOU UP OUT OF HERE.> People he didn't even know rescued him from the rubble - Something that still brings tears to his eyes .. weeks later. <IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. (CRIES) THE FIRST PERSON THAT HOLLERED AT ME...I DIDN'T KNOW HIM EITHER. (PAUSE) QUITE AN ORDEAL.> <NATS OF UNLOADING TRUCK.> Acts of service by complete strangers are everywhere in Greenfield. <THAT'S AWESOME!> Like this truck load of donations coming in daily from church congregations across the state. <THESE ARE VERY NICE BROOMS. VERY NICE BROOMS. WE CAN START TAKING THESE IN.> The supplies never end - and neither does the compassion that's handed out with them. <IF YOU JUST WANT TO COME BACK AND TALK. I WILL SIT WITH YOU.> Stories of survival are important to share - <SMALL TOWN AMERICA. THAT'S WHAT WE DO.> And so are the stories of heroes - <I SHOT ACROSS THE STREET...> Like Russ Armstrong. Who is so humble, he won't even tell you he saved four people. <IT WASN'T JUST ME. THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE.> Including one woman he didn't recognize. <I UNCOVERED HER AND PULLED THE RUBBLE AWAY FROM HER EXPECTING THE WORST ANYWAY.> He knelt down and reassured her he would stay by her side. <STAY CALM. WE WILL FIND YOU HELP. THERE IS PEOPLE AROUND. WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE.> A moment of humanity - with nothing expected in return. <IT'S JUST THE HUMAN THING TO DO. WE CARE FOR PEOPLE AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. THAT'S WHAT WE DO HERE.> While the devastation here is great - The work of helpers is even greater. <HE TOLD ME THE OTHER NIGHT HE SAID WE NEED TO WRITE DOWN ALL THESE NAMES OF ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING YOU, AND I'M LIKE HONEY I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO ALL THESE ANGELS ARE THAT HAVE HELPED US. I MEAN HUNDREDS. THAT'S WHY I JUST CALL THEM ANGELS ALL WEEK BECAUSE THEY JUST SHOW UP.> Showing up for strangers in any way possible. Is what Iowans do - even in disaster. <WE HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED BY SO MANY. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY.> And that's why the Freelands plan to stay. <WE WANT TO REBUILD HERE.> Because Greenfield is not gone. <WE WILL RECOVER. WE'LL RECOVER. IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.> Just forever changed, and perhaps even stronge
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This Is Iowa: Greenfield rallies together, showing the 'power of people' after deadly tornado
The echoes of a once peaceful life turned to rubble reverberate through Greenfield. Though among all the destruction, the residents of Greenfield prove to be a true community — coming together to help each other.Like many, retired Chaplain Gary Freeland and his wife Roseann survived the disaster by taking refuge in their basement. Emerging from their shelter, the couple found their home reduced to a gaping hole surrounded by dusty debris. Despite the devastation, the Freelands found solace in the miracles of the day."We started the day with a house and cars. We ended the day homeless and no cars," Gary Freeland said. "All we had was God and it was the most peaceful feeling I had through the whole thing."» MORE THIS IS IOWA: Visit the This Is Iowa page on vlog's website and follow the series on FacebookAmong the ruins, they discovered small treasures, like a photo that didn't belong to them, a discovery that sparked joy. The photo of a chubby-cheeked baby now joins hundreds of lost photos on display at United Methodist Church in Greenfield, waiting to be found by their rightful owners.Each photo tells a story, memories of fishing trips and smiling sisters. In the next room, supplies are ready for whoever needs them. Church pews hold stacks of donated clothes, and families with even the tiniest tornado survivors can stop by for help."They don't want to come in because they think other people are worse off than they are. And so they come in and see what we have, and so it's like, 'Wow, can I have some of this?' and we're like, 'Yes! Take as much as you need and come back,'" said Connie Lundy, a retired elementary school principal who now leads the army of volunteers. Acts of service by complete strangers are everywhere in Greenfield. Dennis Kreis, who is blind, survived the storm and was helped out of the rubble by strangers."The mystery part is someone got down with me in that basement, and we don't know who it was, but he helped me get up on a counter, and the other guys said, 'Stick your hands up, and we will pull you up out of here,'" Kreis said.Stories of survival are important to share, and so are the stories of heroes like Russ Armstrong, who tended to several people after the tornado. He reassured one woman, who he found trapped under rubble, that he'd stay by her side: "Stay calm. We will find you help," he recalls telling her. "There are people around. We are going to get you out of here."While the devastation in Greenfield is great, the work of helpers is even greater. Greenfield is not gone, just forever changed, and perhaps even stronger thanks to so many helpers."We'll recover. We'll recover. It's just going to take some time," Armstrong said.More from the June 27, 2024, This Is Iowa episode:This Is Iowa: Perry students turn tragedy of school shooting into lesson of love, support and serviceThis is Iowa: Perry teachers training dogs to be permanent therapy dogs in the districtThis Is Iowa: Ohio man spreads hope with spray paint after deadly Greenfield tornado

The echoes of a once peaceful life turned to rubble reverberate through Greenfield. Though among all the destruction, the residents of Greenfield prove to be a true community — coming together to help each other.

Like many, retired Chaplain Gary Freeland and his wife Roseann survived the disaster by taking refuge in their basement.

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Emerging from their shelter, the couple found their home reduced to a gaping hole surrounded by dusty debris. Despite the devastation, the Freelands found solace in the miracles of the day.

"We started the day with a house and cars. We ended the day homeless and no cars," Gary Freeland said. "All we had was God and it was the most peaceful feeling I had through the whole thing."

» MORE THIS IS IOWA: Visit the This Is Iowa page on vlog's website and follow the series on

Among the ruins, they discovered small treasures, like a photo that didn't belong to them, a discovery that sparked joy. The photo of a chubby-cheeked baby now joins hundreds of lost photos on display at United Methodist Church in Greenfield, waiting to be found by their rightful owners.

Each photo tells a story, memories of fishing trips and smiling sisters. In the next room, supplies are ready for whoever needs them. Church pews hold stacks of donated clothes, and families with even the tiniest tornado survivors can stop by for help.

"They don't want to come in because they think other people are worse off than they are. And so they come in and see what we have, and so it's like, 'Wow, can I have some of this?' and we're like, 'Yes! Take as much as you need and come back,'" said Connie Lundy, a retired elementary school principal who now leads the army of volunteers.

Acts of service by complete strangers are everywhere in Greenfield. Dennis Kreis, who is blind, survived the storm and was helped out of the rubble by strangers.

"The mystery part is someone got down with me in that basement, and we don't know who it was, but he helped me get up on a counter, and the other guys said, 'Stick your hands up, and we will pull you up out of here,'" Kreis said.

Stories of survival are important to share, and so are the stories of heroes like Russ Armstrong, who tended to several people after the tornado. He reassured one woman, who he found trapped under rubble, that he'd stay by her side: "Stay calm. We will find you help," he recalls telling her. "There are people around. We are going to get you out of here."

While the devastation in Greenfield is great, the work of helpers is even greater. Greenfield is not gone, just forever changed, and perhaps even stronger thanks to so many helpers.

"We'll recover. We'll recover. It's just going to take some time," Armstrong said.

More from the June 27, 2024, This Is Iowa episode: