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Locals lend helping hand to Irma victims

Thomas Barber went to the Russellville Walmart Monday evening and purchased a Golden Tigers hooded sweatshirt.

You wouldn't think that to be a big deal until you learn that, up until the day before, Barber had never heard of Russellville, Alabama.

A resident of Ocala, a northern Florida city hammered by Hurricane Irma, Barber made his way to Russellville last Sunday looking for a hotel room, something that wasn't available all the way from Tallahassee north until Russellville, where he found a room at the Best Western Plus.

“I left Ocala and headed to Tallahassee. I wanted a day to see where the storm would go,” Barber said. “Once I got to Tallahassee, the storm was on track to hit there. I couldn't find a hotel, so I slept on it, prayed on it and this was the nearest hotel available. I made a reservation on line and headed here."

Barber had one of 13 rooms rented by Hurricane Irma evacuees at the Best Western, which along with the Greenwoods Inn, was filled to capacity this week. To his surprise, Barber found a red carpet rolled out for the displaced visitors.

Area church members cooked meals for the guests, and the amount of donated food, clothes and supplies was staggering.

“Everyone here is so kind," Barber said. "All I had was shorts when I came here, so I went to Walmart to get some pants. And I saw the Russellville Golden Tigers sweatshirts and got one. That way I can represent Russellville all the way back in Florida.

“Your community has given us so much, and I wanted something to take home to remember y'all by.”

Barber knows he was fortunate to make it to Russellville. His trip from Ocala to Tallahassee, normally a three-hour drive, took him more than six hours. There was no gas available along the way. He had just enough to make it to Tallahassee, where he was the last customer to receive fuel at a gas station before it ran out.

He left his grandfather, who refused to vacate his home in Ocala, behind. But Barber has spoken with him and was relieved to hear he was doing alright. As for the status of Barber's home, he'll have an answer to that question once he returns home.

“I'll worry about that when I get home," he said. "I'm trying not to be too depressed about the situation. I want to be thankful, upbeat and positive that I'm alive and so is my grandpa back home.

"This town has been unbelievably warm and welcoming. The hospitality has been phenomenal. The outreach and giving from different churches has blown me away more so than the hurricane did."

Barber expressed his appreciation to Pastor John Humphres of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Phil Campbell.

“He counseled me the first night I was here," Barber said. "I poured my heart out, and he prayed with me. He left me with a clear mind and a lighter heart. That really helped me get a good night's sleep."

First Baptist Church of Russellville provided dinner for the hotel guests Monday evening. FBC pastor Patrick Martin said he heard of the opportunity from a church member who saw a Facebook post asking churches to help.

“Suzanne [Parrish] texted me and asked if we wanted to do this," Martin said. "I put it before the church Sunday morning, and everyone was supportive of the idea. We had so many church members offer to help, we were able to feed guests in both hotels. As a pastor, that just warms your heart.”

Rita King, a former Russellville resident and clerk in the Franklin County Circuit Clerk's Office, moved to Orlando more than a year ago. King and her family returned to Russellville after deciding to evacuate their home as the hurricane neared. King, her husband and their daughter were also guests at the Best Western Plus.

“We wanted to come home, but not under these circumstances,” King said. “I want to thank everybody for all they've done. Words can not express how awesome the Southern hospitality has been to my family.

“We had so much trouble coming up here, trying to find gas, hotels and even finding somewhere to stop and use the bathroom. But we found that hospitality right here back home in Russellville."

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