MERRILLVILLE – While thunderstorms rolled through Northwest Indiana on June 11, bringing with it a devastating tornado that touched down in Merrillville, Joanne Vasilakis sat in her tiny bathroom with her two dogs. She was admittedly scared as she waited for the tornado to pass.
When the weather cleared, Vasilakis surveyed the damage.
“I didn't know how bad it was,” she said. “Then you walk out your door, and it looks like a war zone.”
A few weeks later, Vasilakis was one of many residents in a neighborhood off of 61st Avenue in Merrillville who received some assistance with removing debris during the “Merrillville Clean Up Project" on June 26.
Within a week of the idea being proposed, Lake County Emergency Management, the Town of Merrillville, Andrean High School, Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana, Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation and Merrillville Fire Department came together to coordinate the effort.
“It was impressive to be honest,” said Dan Kozlowski, executive director of Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana. “We have more than 60 students in addition to adults like alumni and parents that wanted to come out and support, too.”
Kozlowski said it was great to see Andrean’s student body “giving back.” He was pleased with the number of students who signed up, and said he was open to arranging future cleanup days if there continued to be a need.
“I think it's great to see the community coming together to help out in many ways,” Kozlowski said. “Andrean is part of this community and the fabric of this community, and we should be leading this department, so it's good to see these kids show up, go out and lend a hand, even if for a couple hours today.”
Deshawn Jackson was just one member of the Andrean football team who came out to help. After hearing about the service project at practice, he arrived early with other Andrean students ready to lend a hand.
“I came to Andrean as a young kid from a school I didn't really like,” he said. “I really liked Andrean, and seeing it get destroyed really made me upset, and seeing all my friends lose their homes out here and all the damage that happened to the community.”
Jackson, a sophomore and resident of Griffith, said he hoped the cleanup effort provided a helping hand to people who are not able to help themselves, and the people who don't have a means of support.
“I just hope it helps out the community a bunch,” Jackson said.
Student Adrianna Sanchez said learning of the EF2 tornado deeply impacted her. She explained she has attended Andrean since her freshman year and noted: “it's a really special place.” She was shocked to hear about the damage to the school and surrounding community, as it “seemed like an immovable place,” and noted Andrean is more than a building.
“It's the people that make it a special place,” Sanchez said. “It almost feels like a family. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else.”
“I love being there, and so I just thought if I could help the communities that got affected in any way I can, I would,” she added about volunteering.
Phoenix Whittenberg, of Dyer, said he knew people needed help and wanted to do his best to see what he could do to assist. The freshman’s mother encouraged him to join the effort, and he was happy to do so.
“These people in their life were kinda taken down, and they are going to need some help,” Whittenberg said.
The students traveled by bus provided by Crossroads YMCA from a command center on Cleveland Street into the affected neighborhood, where they loaded debris from the street and easements, filling the beds of several trucks. They also knocked on doors to see if residents needed further assistance clearing materials from their property.
The youth were joined by a handful of adults who monitored the work, ensuring no one got hurt. Don Gavin, of St. John, accompanied his daughter, Morgan. Understanding the severity of the storm that hit, Gavin said he wasn't surprised by the damage he saw in front of him.
“I knew how bad it was,” he said. “That's why I had no problem coming out. You don't wish this on anybody.”
For more information about Andrean High School, or to donate, visit www.andreanhs.org/support/donatenow.cfm
To view more photos, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/dioceseofgary/albums/
