The University of Arkansas – Monticello College of Technology at Crossett collected donations March 1-7 for Dumas. The collected items included non-perishable food products, paper products, clothing, towels, toiletries and school supplies.  

   The Desha Disaster Relief Team in Dumas received the items. The small town of Dumas became a disaster zone Feb. 24 when an F-3 tornado struck the area, destroying many neighborhoods, a Fred’s store, a mall and much of the town’s mid section.  

   “It was an awful site,” said Mitch Powell, the UAM-CTC student service coordinator.  

   Powell along with students Whitney Morgan and Chad Turner participated in the relief effort.  

   Morgan, a first-year student who is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science Degree in General Technology, said what motivated her to get involved was the fact that people lost everything and did not have basic items. The two students both agreed that the effort highly impacted the campus.

   “I felt that it gave our students a sense that we, as a local student body, could be involved,” Morgan said. “If I lost everything, I would hope there would be someone to help me; I would just put myself in their shoes for a moment.”  

   Despite the fact that Morgan does not have friends or relatives in Dumas, she showed her support for the community. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Dumas. I was glad to help in any way I could,” she said. 

   Turner, a sophomore pursuing an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Industrial Controls, had a different approach to the relief effort. Turner said in his ninth-grade year an electrical fire destroyed his house and his grandparent’s house. 

   “I know what it feels like to lose everything, so I certainly wanted to help,” Turner said. “If you knew what it felt like to lose everything, you would be naturally motivated to help these people.” 

   He also said he felt the relief effort brought everyone together as a campus and made them realize that they could get involved.  

   The Ashley County Disaster Relief Team set up at the old hospital in Dumas, collecting the many donated items. The team distributed several five-gallon buckets filled with cleaning supplies to the relief volunteers to clean sections of the town. 

   “They were very appreciative of the donations and that we had sorted like items together,” Powell said. 

   Three Crossett businesses also contributed to the relief efforts, including Save-A-Lot Grocery, Bemis Company Inc. and Crossett Paper Mills Employee Federal Credit Union. If anyone would like to make donations to the Dumas community, contact Mitch Powell at 870-364-6414 or powell@uamont.edu.