OBI Helps Illinois Tornado Victims Clean Up

Operation Blessing is launching a fourth day of cleanup efforts after that powerful EF-4 tornado struck Illinois last week.

More than 100 volunteers joined up with Operation Blessing Monday to help victims in the city of Rochelle.

They have carried away debris and cut up fallen trees in a subdivision where homes were reduced to their foundations.

"We're here to obviously do debris removal, but most importantly we're here to touch hearts and change lives with the love of Christ and encourage them in any way possible," Operation Blessing Vice President Jody Gettys said.

**What are the biggest needs right now? Jody Gettys, vice president with Operation Blessing International, answered this and more. Click play to watch.**

Since last Friday, Operation Blessing has been supporting local emergency management, and connecting with long-time partners like the chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team.

Rochelle is a big farming community, so while many residents lost their homes, others also lost their farms and livelihood.

Operation Blessing is helping some of the farmers by clearing their fields so they can still plant and harvest.

"I'm excited because I never thought this could happen in such a short time. I was trying to figure out how to do it. My wife was saying, 'What are we gonna do?' And then Operation Blessing comes in and does all this," said farmer Marvin Metzger.

"Just to look out at the fields and to be able to see corn stalks instead of two-by-fours and twisted metal and wagons and trailers that don't look like trailers anymore and things like that that were out in the field that aren't in the field anymore, oh it's just a relief," he said.

Jim Schabacker is another farmer whose land was hit hard by the tornado. His house was spared, but he lost several large structures in the storm, including two garages and a barn.

Schabacker told Operation Blessing volunteers he "wouldn't know what to do without them."

"There's lots of people around the world that need this kind of help, and you never realize it until it happens to you," he said.

Operation Blessing has coordinated and sent out over 1,300 volunteers so far in the Rochelle area. They plan to continue aid efforts this week, and are gearing up for another big volunteer weekend.