06 Jun Mainstreet Church Mobilizes to Help Tornado Victims

A Youtube video showing destruction in Millbury from the tornado.

The Mainstreet church (Walbridge, Ohio), is mourning the loss of two persons from the church who died in a tornado Saturday night, June 5.

Mary Walters and her son Hayden, 5, died in the storm as the family slept. Mary’s husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Madison, 9, are hospitalized; Ryan is in critical condition. One member of the Mainstreet youth group also lost his father to the storm. Altogether, at least five people were killed.

The tornado ripped through Millbury, a 1200-person bedroom community of Toledo located a few miles from Walbridge, causing extensive damage to homes and city buildings.

At least 100 homes were destroyed or damaged, along with a number of city and commercial buildings. The township police and emergency medical services building were, by one report, destroyed. The 911 operators, who worked in that building, had to be relocated. The high school, where graduation was to be held on Sunday, June 6, also sustained heavy damage.

Mainstreet Church canceled Sunday services because of damage to the church and the devastation to property and people’s lives around them.

The church website says, “Regardless of the damage to our building, we will be the church to the community around us.”

In that spirit, Mainstreet has mobilized to help care for people in the community, working to prepare and distribute food and help people with shelter and clothing.

Mainstreet opened its campus at 705 N. Main Street in Walbridge as a shelter for persons in need. They call this their 705 Campus; it was the church’s main facility until they relocated in 2007. Bags and gloves, among other things, are available here so people can help their neighbors with cleanup efforts. The 705 Campus is also open for anyone needing shelter Sunday night. Food, clothing, water, and toiletries are also available there.

On Sunday night, Mainstreet began serving food to people at the new 795 Campus. They also began delivering meals to volunteer workers and displaced people.

Marty Pennington is senior pastor of Mainstreet Church.

View a collection of Flickr photos showing the destruction.