Thousands gave time after the storm

Thousands were thinking the same thing. In Hallam, about 19,008 hours of volunteer time were logged with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Department of Emergency Management throughout the summer.

Those hours came from more than an estimated 4,000 people, said Doug Ahlberg, director of emergency management for Lancaster County.

But that doesn't include those who volunteered with other organizations, such as churches or the Red Cross, which had more than 300 volunteers. That also doesn't include volunteers this spring who have helped with tree plantings and continued cleanups.

Bixler, 35, began his volunteer days wielding his chain saw unaffiliated with any organization before he joined Volunteer Partners of Lincoln.

"He's just a nice, nice guy — one of those spontaneous volunteers who came to help out every day," Ahlberg said.

For two months Bixler helped remove trees, scanned fields for rubbish and hauled away trash in his pickup.

"It was unbelievable," Bixler recalled a year after the storm. "It's hard to describe the destruction I saw. It was more intense than I could've imagined. It was hard to look at, hard because it made you wonder why we were so lucky and why they lost everything."

Like Bixler, Lisa Craig won't forget her volunteer efforts in Hallam.

As a nurse, Craig is accustomed to helping those in need. When the tornadoes hit, she knew she could help provide medical attention, among other things, she said.

After days of volunteering in Hallam, Craig's then-employer gave her an ultimatum that pitted her efforts in Hallam with her job.

She continued to volunteer with the Red Cross, later taking a job with a surgical group in Lincoln.

"Volunteers are the life blood of organizations like ours," said Emily Getzschman of the Red Cross. "These people give up part of their lives for something beyond themselves. It's pretty amazing."

Reach Jonnie Taté Finn at 473-7395 or tfinn@journalstar.com.