Voices of Faith, Pink Bootz on the Ground provide relief to Conyers residents hit by EF2 tornado

CONYERS, GA—A team of volunteers from Voices of Faith Church partnered with Pink Bootz on the Ground to provide food and other essentials to residents who were impacted by the EF2 tornado that hit Conyers on April 3.

The church, under the leadership of Bishop Gary Hawkins, Sr., held the free, three-hour giveaway event on Saturday, April 13, at the church’s Conyers campus, located at 1240 Sigman Road.

Families had a chance to pick up canned and dry goods, snacks, as well as bottled water, beverages, household products, toiletry items and clothing.

The community event was held to assist residents who were directly in the path of the tornado. Some residents  were left without power, while others survived  the tornado but lost clothing and personal belongings due to the destruction, said Tonya Grimes, who helped coordinate the event on behalf of Voices of Faith.  No lives were lost as a result of the tornado, Rockdale County officials said.

A cleanup effort continues as crews remove fallen trees and other debris in areas hit hardest by the tornado including Woodland Road, Springwood Drive, College Avenue, Green Valley Drive, South Hicks Circle, Hope Lane, and the Forest Villas and Pinedale subdivisions. Residents along these roads and in these neighborhoods will be targeted first for storm cleanup assistance.

The city of Conyers has allocated $50,000 in funds toward its Storm Assistance Program (SAP) for city residents without the means to pay for removal of downed trees as a result of the tornado.

Residents may apply for the city’s Public Works and Transportation certified arborist to evaluate the damage and make the determination of removal of trees and debris. The city has contracted with a licensed tree removal company that will schedule an appointment to remove the trees.  

Applications for the SAP can be found on the city’s website at www.conyersga.com/residents/storm-assistance-program. 

Once applications are reviewed, residents will be contacted by a city employee and a right-of-entry form will be issued and completed by the property owner prior to evaluation of the storm damage. The deadline for submitting an application for the SAP is Tuesday, April 30.

Video, photos by Glenn L. Morgan/ocgnews.com