(Part 2 of 2) We meet a group of pint-sized volunteers who believe in the value of reading to dogs in an animal shelter.
And this week marks the one year anniversary since the deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in Columbus.
We take a look at the progress that has been made in rebuilding.
Re reading to children is believed to help their growth and development.
But this is a story about children who read aloud to shelter pets.
Take a look.
Paws-itively lovely two young authors have found a way to share their creative spirit--and kindness-- with homeless pets.
Su front once a week they share their stories at an animal shelter in fairhaven.
Su front and it's all about their love for dogs.
é nine year old brielle leger and her nearly seven year old sister brynn..write and illustrate their owown stories...and guess what they're about.
Brynn 11:34 the books are all about dogs... ... brielle reading 5:17 bean and molly....are going to the playground...... reading to dogs was brielle's idea.
Brielle 16:35 on the first day of school...i saw a video of people reading to dogs in a shelter....so i decided to do that..
..
The ever changing population at the fairhaven animal shelter are the recipients of that love.
Brielle 16:03 i like to read to the dogs to make them happy... brynn 13:28 i think the dogs like that we're trying to be nice to them...and i think they like the stories that we read... girls outside playing with dog 24:16 they came in and they gave us a donation for the animals..
Terry cripps runs the shelter.
Terry continues brolled 27:12 they went back there and i had no idea what they were doing, so i went back and i saw that they were reading.
Terr on camera 27:23 it was awesome...awesom e.... heidi leger mother brolled 25:11 they absolutely love dogs...any dog they meet.... heidi on camera 25:17 ..they want to know the name of the dog the breed, its personality....they really just enjoy dogs.
Brielle reading 1:34 and their dog comes in and likes jumping in the water.
What the girls are doing is helping the dogs with ask any kid what they want for their birthday, and chances are they'll say " puppy."
Not the kid you're about to meet.
He's drawn to the pets that are forgotten by others.
Here's steve hartman, "on th road."
8-year-old robbie gay loves an underdog.
Bring him to the flagler county humane society in palm coast, florida - as we did - and ask him to find a favorite& nat robbie pointing to cage "can i ge in here?"
&he will seek out the oldest, mangiest, least- adoptable mutt of the lot.
Bite robbie "there' something about old dogs that i just like.
Steve: do you see yourself in these dogs?
Robbie: yes, sir."
Bite maria "h knows what it feels like not to be loved and cared for.
He's the most hopeful, optimistic, and genuinely caring kid - who has absolutely no reason to be that way."
Robbie's adoptive mom, maria, says before he entered the foster system, robbie was a holy terror - so badly abused - he was átwiceá hospitalized with brain injuries.
Then, 2 years ago, maria and her husband charles adopted him.
Bite robbie "it wa just a good day.
Steve: what did that day mean to you?
Robbie: everything."
Std-up / he has come a long way - except in this one respect: maria says he could not cry.
Despite the horrors of his past, or maybe because of them, the kid was a stone.
Until earlier this month.
One of robbie's old dogs, buffy, had to be put down.
He wanted to hold her 'til the very end - and insisted his mom take pictures of the process - perhaps because he knew what was about to happen.
After robbie finally let go, he told his mom, " know how it feels not to be loved or cared for and i don't want any animal of mine to feel that way."
Nor does he want any foster kid to feel that way.
Bite robbie "because peopl don't want older people and older dogs.
They only want babies and puppies."
Bite maria "he is s aware that it could have gone totally differently for him.
And in these older dogs robbie has found a place to practice compassion."
Someday robbie wants to adopt older foster children himself.
Nat maria approaching house with robbie "g knock on the door."
But until then - to show his commitment and do what he can& knock on door - dog barks &he has vowed to adopt as many old dogs as his parents will allow.
Today it's a lame, snaggletooth shih tzu mutt named molly.
Molly's owner had to go into assisted living.
But tonight molly has a new home - thanks to the sweet, little boy who sees his reflection, in the eyes of the suffering.
Steve hartman, on the road, near palm coast, florida many people who live in columbus marked the one year anniversary of the february tornado over the weekend.
Volunteers stopped to remember 41 year old ashley pounds who was killed in the storm.
Members of the community recover of lowndes county planted magnolia trees at sim scott park.
And sunday, the congregation of the first pentecostal church commemorated the day that changed lives forever.
Our scott martin pkg it's a new beginning for the congregation of the first pentecostal church in columbus.
"we're ready t get into our home and be able to reach people."
This is where the church once stood.
February 23, 2019...an ef-3 tornado ripped through nearly wiping the church from it's foundation...leavin g church members heartbroken.
"at first it was lik a feeling of misplacement."
A day of sadness a year ago is now tranformed into joy.
"this feels lik we're back home.
We're back home is what it feels like."
These plans were unvieled of what the new church is going to look like.
You may remember last year pastor steve blaylock told us a baptism service was planned the sunday after the storm which went as planned.
And this year more people were baptised.
But this baptism meant a whole lot more.
"baptism is a ste of faith and it recognized a new birth and that's what today means.
We're going to go on everything's being renewed."
Pastor blaylock says it's been tough road.
But their faith never wavered.
"the storm didn' destroy our church it just destroyed the building.
We're stronger spiritually, we're stronger individually as people."
One thing that kept them strong was the sign church goers say god left them after the storm.
The pullpit was left unscathed.
"i will neve forget the podium.
I still tell people about it.
You have to believe that it's something bigger."
"i have that podiu we've saved it.
It's cleaned up and we'll use it in the new sanctuary.
It's a reminder to all of us that god's doing something new, something fresh.
We're going to have a new start, a new building."
They hope to have the church built within the year.
That and more on