When a tornado devastated many homes last week in Parkersburg, Iowa, The American Legion's Department of Iowa immediately responded by securing emergency grants for storm victims. The local Legion post became a community center providing food and comfort to displaced residents, helped out by a department grant. Polk County American Legion members also began to collect clothing and supplies for beleaguered families who had lost everything to the tornado.

Neal Schrage, commander of American Legion Post 285, and the Parkersburg Legion family are working hard to give all the victims good meals and comfortable places to sleep. "It just goes to show that if you have a need, people will help," Schrage told a KCRG-TV reporter. "We have a big need here. And people are pouring in help from everywhere."

The day after the tornado hit, Iowa Department Adjutant John Derner toured the area to assess the damage and facilitate relief efforts. He was soon joined by Howard Hodson, the Legion's Third District commander in Iowa. He began to distribute applications to victims for relief money, provided by The American Legion's National Emergency Fund.

Post 285 is about the only large building left standing in Parkersburg, Derner says. It serves as the command post for FEMA, Red Cross, and Iowa State Patrol rescue and relief workers. The post also feeds about 4,000 people - at a cost of about $10,000 - per day.

"People go through the food line, get Emergency Fund applications, fill them out, and they're delivered to me," said Kathy Nees, programs director for the Department of Iowa in Des Moines. "I process the applications, send them to National Headquarters, and they send us checks." Those checks are then delivered to the folks in Parkersburg. As a matter of fact, National Headquarters has already sent $20,000 in grants and isn't done yet.

"As a matter of fact, some more checks just arrived today at 1 p.m. via FedEx," Nees told the Online Update in a June 3 phone interview. "They will soon be in the hands of people who need the money."

Besides financial help out of Indianapolis, the people of Parkerburg are getting material assistance from groups all over Iowa. For instance, American Legion Riders in Washington, Iowa, delivered a truck filled with supplies last week - including a Legion Riders motorcycle escort - and hand-delivered cash donations to Schrage. "Everybody has been coordinating efforts out of the state Legion headquarters," Nees said. "This whole American Legion of Iowa has really stepped up to the plate and helped out in every way - food, money, clothes, baby blankets, you name it."

Efforts are still underway to gather much-need supplies, especially for the Parkersburg American Legion Post, which has been converted into a disaster relief headquarters. Derner is asking Legionnaires for donations of cash, gasoline for generators, sheets, pillows, blankets, personal hygiene items, diapers, and powdered formula for babies.

While Post 285 feeds tornado victims, members of the Legion, Auxiliary, and Sons of the American Legion are working 24 hours a day to support and feed relief workers. Contact Kathy Nees, Department of Iowa, at knees@ialegion.org if your chapter or post would like to assist. Donations also can be made through the department by calling (800) 365-8387.