MONROE - Veterans and volunteers from across the state offered their services this weekend cleaning storm damage at a rural Monroe residence.
Eight members of Team Rubicon, a nationwide volunteer disaster response program, arrived Saturday morning at the residence of Roger and Joan Alton on Wisconsin 69, Town of Monroe.
Adam Lemons, public information officer for Team Rubicon, said volunteers came from as far away as Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Dells and Kenosha.
"They wanted to help, so there's not much of a distance limit for us," Lemons said.
Lemons said 75 percent of Team Rubicon's nearly 50,000 members nationwide are military veterans.
Jodi Moyer, incident commander at the Alton farm, said Rubicon gives veterans a sense of purpose that they sometimes feel they lack after they hang up their uniforms.
"But we're not exclusive," Lemons said. "We'll take anybody with a like-minded set of values."
At the Alton farm, volunteers set to work clearing debris caused by a pair of tornadoes that passed between Monroe and Monticello on June 28.
Tanna Mckeon, director of Green County Emergency Management, said the Alton farm was the property that was most damaged by the storm. Multiple barns were flattened, trees were splintered and the house itself sustained enough damage that Mckeon said it would have to be razed.
"We help at everything from hurricanes to tornadoes," Lemons said. "But it doesn't matter, because for these homeowners, this is the worst time of their lives."
"It's overwhelming," Mckeon said. "This family needed a good team."
Mckeon coordinated with Team Rubicon to set up a volunteer weekend at the Alton farm. Several Monroe businesses, including Colony Brands, Pizza Hut, Kwik Trip and Subway, donated food for the volunteers. Green County EMS also housed the volunteers overnight.
"Emergency Management has done a phenomenal job setting this up," Moyer said.
Moyer said volunteers would help throughout both Saturday and Sunday, with new volunteers arriving Sunday.
Alongside the volunteers, Roger Alton put on work gloves to help around the wreckage. Alton said he and his wife were lucky to survive the storm, even though their property was less fortunate.
"We've got some awful good help here today," Alton said.
Eight members of Team Rubicon, a nationwide volunteer disaster response program, arrived Saturday morning at the residence of Roger and Joan Alton on Wisconsin 69, Town of Monroe.
Adam Lemons, public information officer for Team Rubicon, said volunteers came from as far away as Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Dells and Kenosha.
"They wanted to help, so there's not much of a distance limit for us," Lemons said.
Lemons said 75 percent of Team Rubicon's nearly 50,000 members nationwide are military veterans.
Jodi Moyer, incident commander at the Alton farm, said Rubicon gives veterans a sense of purpose that they sometimes feel they lack after they hang up their uniforms.
"But we're not exclusive," Lemons said. "We'll take anybody with a like-minded set of values."
At the Alton farm, volunteers set to work clearing debris caused by a pair of tornadoes that passed between Monroe and Monticello on June 28.
Tanna Mckeon, director of Green County Emergency Management, said the Alton farm was the property that was most damaged by the storm. Multiple barns were flattened, trees were splintered and the house itself sustained enough damage that Mckeon said it would have to be razed.
"We help at everything from hurricanes to tornadoes," Lemons said. "But it doesn't matter, because for these homeowners, this is the worst time of their lives."
"It's overwhelming," Mckeon said. "This family needed a good team."
Mckeon coordinated with Team Rubicon to set up a volunteer weekend at the Alton farm. Several Monroe businesses, including Colony Brands, Pizza Hut, Kwik Trip and Subway, donated food for the volunteers. Green County EMS also housed the volunteers overnight.
"Emergency Management has done a phenomenal job setting this up," Moyer said.
Moyer said volunteers would help throughout both Saturday and Sunday, with new volunteers arriving Sunday.
Alongside the volunteers, Roger Alton put on work gloves to help around the wreckage. Alton said he and his wife were lucky to survive the storm, even though their property was less fortunate.
"We've got some awful good help here today," Alton said.