BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Individuals and groups throughout Northwest Arkansas have been doing their part to give back to their community after several tornadoes and severe winds destroyed homes and businesses on May 26.
One way residents have been giving back is through meals.
"We pulled up and gave them food," Joanne Cobb, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for post 100 in Rogers said. "It's basically what the auxiliary does. We try to help our community."
On Wednesday, members of the American Legion Auxiliary from Post 100 in Rogers and Post 274 in Cave Springs decided to use their time to pass out sandwiches to those who needed them most in Rogers.
"It's just awesome to be able to do acts of kindness for somebody else, and not expect anything in return," American Legion Auxiliary member Mariette Flores said.
At the time, many of those who were volunteering were without power, but still decided to go out into the community and help.
In total, the group said they were able to hand out 406 sandwiches in just a few hours.
In Decatur, longtime resident and store runner of the TNT Express Shayle Witcher said the least she could do to help her community was open up her kitchen to make hot meals for those affected by Sunday’s tornadoes.
Witcher’s parents moved to Decatur from Gravette and opened the TNT Express in 1995. Since 2008, Witcher said she has been running the store.
"I've been cooking out of this kitchen for 13 years, so I knew we could handle it," Witcher said. "I have a couple of ladies from town here helping me out. We're either putting it in their cars and going and driving around with it, or we're serving up at the church."
Witcher said she knew she had the ability and equipment to help, so she did. When she’s not cooking and working at her store, she’s going around town and helping clean up debris from people’s yards.
Witcher said Decatur is a close-knit community, and helping those out around her is instinctual.
"As a business owner, that's what you would want to do for the people in your community," Witcher said. "You have customers that are here daily ... If they're nice enough to patronize your business, you want to get out there and make sure that they as a family have what they need."
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