MAYFIELD, Ky. — The Mayfield high school distribution center continues to be a place to get essentials for families affected by the deadly tornadoes that swept through Kentucky, killing 78 people according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
A pair of best friends who attend the high school as freshman have been volunteering at the distribution center since it opened Sunday, Dec. 12.
What You Need To Know
- Mayfield High School serves as a distribution center for tornado survivors
- Olivia Smith and Asia Hoover are best friends that attend Mayfield High School
- They've volunteered since the center opened to help out the community
Mayfield High School has all the essentials under one roof. It’s one of many distribution centers around the town filled with food, clothes, toiletries, blankets and generators. Mayfield High School is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Volunteers work from dusk until dawn making sure the community of Mayfield is safe, warm and their bellies are full.
Asia Hoover and her best friend Olivia Smith are practically joined at the hip and you wouldn't see one without the other, which is why the two MHS freshmen take volunteering together very seriously.
“It can be sad and heartbreaking to know that so many families have lost their homes and don’t have anywhere to go. But then it’s also happy and relieving to know that you’ve helped so many families," Hoover said.
The best friends are making sure their community in Mayfield gets what they need including food, water, clothes and much more.
The Mayfield High School distribution center advises families get a three day supply of needs and come back for more when they run out. Families can get a hot meal each time they come to get their three day supply of necessities.
Hoover and Smith were in Nashville, Tennessee on the night of the storms celebrating Smith’s birthday. Being hours away from home, they both started receiving a lot of calls and texts from their friends saying “I love you”, fearing the worst would happen.
The two came back the next day and saw the devastation with their own two eyes. The town the two were born and raised in was nearly decimated, as the EF-4 tornado claimed 21 lives in Graves County.
“A lot of the homes that got destroyed, you can tell you can tell that some of them won’t be able to afford to pay for anything else,” said Smith.
Thankfully, both Smith and Hoover’s homes did not have any damage. One family at a time, comfort is being brought, and worries are wearing away. Each item that is donated goes through a careful marking process.
“There’s no barcode on it! So we have to go around every time someone sends stuff in, we go around and we mark off the barcodes so people can’t return the items,” said Hoover.
Hoover, Smith will continue to volunteer at the Mayfield high school distribution center all winter break and lend a hand where needed. Families in need of essentials can go to MHS, which is located at 700 Douthitt Street in Mayfield.