PORTAGE, Mich. — They say it takes a village to recover from a natural disaster. Part of that village lives inside the First Assembly of God Church in Portage.
Several organizations have come together to make sure those who've lost a home, haven't lost hope.
Angela Liedeke is one of those victims.
“The house started shaking, and then it picked us up and then it was like and elevator dropping," Liedeke told FOX 17 Thursday. "Then, the next thing we knew we were back down.”
It's the moment her life changed forever — fortunate to still have a life at all.
“My fiancee grabbed my arm to pull me out, and in the process, I tore tendons in my hip, and my knee, and I sprained my knee and I pulled muscles in my shoulder," Liedeke said.
Her Pavilion Estates mobile home was a total loss after Tuesday's tornadoes.
She, her fiance, her two young children, three adult dogs, three puppies and two cats were not sure where to turn next, went to the Red Cross shelter in Portage.
“In a word, it’s a God-send," Liedeke said. "We were scared, we didn’t know where to go, our house is not livable.”
Sue Heydlauff, the Red Cross Supervisor on sit, said Liedeke and her family joined sixteen others seeking help, with another three arriving Thursday afternoon and likely even more still to come.
“What are the biggest needs right now?” FOX 17 asked.
“A place to lay their head," Heydlauff responded. "Somebody to listen to them, to support them.”
Fortunately, Heydlauff doesn't have to do it alone.
Gwen Harrison, the Community Relations Director for Advanced Health Pharmacy, said, “My boss has offered, if any people that are displaced need medications, you've lost, you know, your heart medicine is under the trailer or something, we will help any way we can.”
Upon arriving at the Red Cross shelter, Harrison found her true calling as a volunteer with the pups.
“I love dogs. I love animals," Harrison said. "I just knew there was a need. These poor little guys don't know what's going on, you know, being displaced and stuck in a crate. I just thought, I just want to go clean, pick up, get some fresh water and some food and show them some love.”
It's a true community effort, when community is all some people have.
“They’re doing everything they can to make us comfortable, and that has been such a weight off of our shoulders because we’re struggling to figure out what we’re going to do for housing," Liedeke said. "Everything is up in the air and it’s just a mess.”
Heydlauff said all the food at the shelter has come from Meijer. The Humane Society has also stepped into help. Plus, Operation Blessing dropped off a shipment of supplies where members of the church are also working on ways to support the community.
Heydlauff said the plan is to keep the shelter open for as long as they have heads that need beds.
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