They're assisting residents who are staying in the Red Cross shelters.

Texas native Ken Leonard has seen some ice storms in his life.

"But this is the worst one I've ever seen," he said from the Asbury United Methodist Church shelter.

Leonard is one of a growing number of out-of-state volun teers arriving to help in Tulsa's recovery effort.

He is an AmeriCorps volunteer from Forney, Texas, and is the manager at the Red Cross Owasso emergency shelter at First Christian Church.

"With a disaster like this, it is expensive," said Leonard, who served as county commissioner in Kaufman County, Texas.

"Nothing can take the place of contributions. The Red Cross works entirely on contributions to help people get back on their feet."

Tulsa residents have done an exceptional job as first responders, Leonard said.

"We have the training for disaster response, but people here knew what to do without the training," Leonard said. "As neighbors, they instinctively knew how to help each other. And Tulsa has one of the best Red Cross chapters in the country. It has a good reputation."

Leonard and fellow AmeriCorps volunteer Mary McGuckin arrived Wednesday and have worked nonstop. They plan to stay for at least a week.

They have been in the shelters tending to people's needs.

"Most everybody is upbeat," Leonard said. "Most people know that

McGuckin originally is from Sandpoint, Idaho, and has experience with hurricane disaster relief.

She said there is a big transportation need for people to check on their homes or get to doctor appointments.

"A lot of people I see are grateful for what they have," McGuckin said. "People have been able to take themselves out of the destruction and see the overall picture.

"It's heartwarming to see people counting their blessings rather than hold onto the bad things happening. On the flip side, people are concerned about their futures."

McGuckin said she views her work as helping ease the emotional turmoil caused by the disaster.

"A huge part of what we do is to be a sounding board for people in the shelters," McGuckin said. "They need to express their fears, hopes, worries and plans. Talking about it gives them some peace."

Ginnie Graham 581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com