Food deliveries for storm victims continues

The ice from the Christmas week storm has melted, but it's left behind broken trees and broken budgets. Thousands of people lost hours at work during the storm. Now they're facing smaller paychecks,

Saturday, January 13th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The ice from the Christmas week storm has melted, but it's left behind broken trees and broken budgets. Thousands of people lost hours at work during the storm. Now they're facing smaller paychecks, and struggling to make ends meet.

KOTV's Jenny McNeill went to Eufaula, to find out more.

People are lining the streets of Eufaula hoping to get some help. Their groceries are almost depleted and so are their bank accounts. The ice storm came and stayed for two weeks leaving hundreds temporarily out of work and forcing them to use grocery money to pay for other things.

Now volunteers are stepping in. Janey Romine: "just the need when we saw people who were hungry they used their food money,. Their bill money for heat when the electric was out kerosene oil and they don't have any money for food and people are really hungry." Three non-profit groups in Eufaula have joined forces to get tons of food from Feed The Children and the Tulsa Food Bank. Plus, the Eufaula Indian Community has donated thousands of dollars for food vouchers.

But the need seems to be greater than the gift. Jayne: "we never expected this we knew it was a disaster we knew it was bad, but people are desperate there were people here yesterday that were crying and fighting." The first day the line was too long and food ran out. Pat Dielle was one who went home empty handed.

But Friday he was the first one in line, waiting more than seven hours. Pat: "oh about 5:30 a quarter to six I spent all day yesterday here." He's at the front of the line, and it seems to go on forever behind him, but he does get in.

Daniel and Kerry Whitmus are several hundred yards behind him. Daniel: "we're hoping no matter what we get we'll be happy with it and it will help us out. We've got a two month old and anything will help." It may look like there's a lot of food here, but there are people who won't get anything the storm may have melted but it's left hundreds of people in need.

Another truckload of food from Feed The Children is expected to arrive early next week.