PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Hundreds of volunteers have spent the past week cleaning up after an EF-4 tornado bulldozed it's way through Pulaski County, and inmates made up the list of volunteers.
This last week, hundreds of volunteers have come out to Pulaski County to help clean up what an EF-4 tornado left behind. Some of those volunteers included 35 Pulaski County Detention Center inmates.
"You got some people that need rehabilitation for life, you know. They don't know how to live life you know, so if they get into this work program, it teaches you a lot," said inmate Fadale Zamora.
"You know it has been absolutely amazing to see these guys go out and not one time have we heard them complain about anything," admits Pulaski County Detention Center Jailer Anthony McCollum. "They've been 100% as soon as we got them Saturday morning and said we're going out. They were ready, they were eager, they were willing."
It was a work program McCollum started in 2018 to give inmates a second chance while giving back to the very place they grew up in. The tornado aftermath was a chance to help.
"Just all of the houses that's completely demolished, all of the debris you know just cars mangled on the side of the road, just it's unreal," explains Jordy Phelps, one of the inmates.
"Usually when you're out in the community. We got a lot of people who look at us like- they see us in orange or they see inmate on us, so it's either walk away," explains Zamora. But we've been impacted a lot, and it makes me feel more respected now. Like with" this cleanup, I've had so many people tell me thank you and it makes you feel amazing."
The group spends almost 12 hours a day cleaning up debris in the hard-hit areas. So far, the group has filled at least 350 trailers with the debris. However, they say it doesn't even make a dent in what remains.
"It breaks my heart to see all of the people and to see everything that's tore up. Like I said, we'll rebuild, you know. Everybody sticks together and pushes forward even the people that didn't have nothing out there. Putting in effort to help people that does, one step at a time," Phelps says solemnly.
"I love my community. I'm ready, I look forward to getting out and I love helping this work program and we're actually well respected and I appreciate it a lot. We do a lot bigger jobs than people realize," said Zamora.
The group has no plans to slow down their work anytime soon. They say as long as Pulaski County needs them, they will be their helping hand. "Just stay positive. Keep looking forward, pray. Hold your family. Appreciate each day that you got, you know. Just keep working together, and I'm sure we can get through this," said Phelps.
McCollum says the inmates eligible for this program are the ones considered to be community safe by the Department of Corrections.
