'We want to give people hope': Americans aid tornado victims

Some remove broken tree limbs from the ground. Others prepare hot meals and shelters for those who have nowhere to turn. And many are collecting cash, toothpaste, soap, and other items for the countless who need them.

Americans across the country are pitching in to help after last week’s tornadoes ravaged the South and Midwest, killing at least 90 people and displacing hundreds.

More than $9 million has been raised for a state fund set up in Kentucky, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said, with the first expenditures expected to go towards funeral and burial costs for families who lost loved ones. A telethon hosted by University of Kentucky Athletics brought in another $3 million for The American Red Cross. And volunteers, backed by national and local aid groups, are lending a hand in the hardest-hit areas.

Glenn Hickey, 67, is one of them. Hours after the tornado, the retired funeral director received a call from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team in Kentucky asking him to help with recovery efforts in Mayfield, which saw some of the worst damage.

Hickey, a regular volunteer with Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, has gotten used to these calls and stays “packed up.” So he kicked into high gear on Saturday and helped gather more volunteers. The next day, he drove four hours from his home in Monticello, Kentucky to Mayfield, where he and other volunteers have been removing tree branches from roads and driveways, and patching roofs that were damaged by the tornado.

More than 100 of them take time to rest and eat at the First Baptist Church in Murray, about 25 miles away from Mayfield. Barbecue, beans, pies and other meals are prepared for them at the church, and for first responders and storm victims in Mayfield, where there is currently no water or power.

“I...