Service in the Storm
As severe storms moved through Johnston County, Okla., in May 2026, including an EF-1 tornado confirmed by the National Weather Service, residents across the area experienced damage and widespread power outages. With conditions deteriorating, Coleman Public Schools canceled its annual FFA and 4-H banquet.
“We were really excited to hold the banquet; everyone had worked really hard at setting it up and cooking all of the food,” says Jacob Fowler, the Coleman FFA Chapter reporter. “We were pretty bummed that we had to cancel it, but it turned into a good opportunity to help the community.”
Rather than sending everyone home, students, teachers and community members found a new purpose for the evening. With banquet meals already prepared, Coleman FFA members opened the school doors and began serving food to those affected by the storms.
Living to Serve
“We took care of our duties as educators first to get kids into the cellars and the other things that needed to be done for everyone’s safety,” says Coleman FFA Chapter advisor Michael Stuart. “It passed as quickly as it arrived, and the officers and I started talking about serving the community.”
The chapter arranged for a generator so people could eat in the gym, and they began coordinating deliveries for people stranded behind downed trees and power lines.
“Michael, our advisor, has taught us to be able to take a hard situation and make it into something better,” says Coleman FFA Chapter President Gabe Calloway. “He has also taught us to be willing to adapt to a situation and not discount something because it’s not what was planned.”
In just a few hours, approximately 250 people were served.
“FFA is about helping out your community and being willing to pitch in,” Fowler says. “One of the first things I remember doing with FFA when I joined was a big fish fry dinner for the community, and it’s always stuck with me.”
Generosity Repaid
The unexpected response transformed a night originally intended to celebrate student achievements into a powerful example of community service, demonstrating how FFA members stepped up to meet a need when their community needed them most.
Their generosity was unexpectedly repaid after the school year ended. The Coleman and Milburn Volunteer Fire Departments donated food and cooked so the chapter and the 4-H club could hold their joint annual banquet.
“It was really nice that they surprised us with the banquet,” Calloway says. “They definitely didn’t have to do that, but it was great that we still got to have our event.”
Disaster Assistance
If you need assistance during a natural disaster, help is available.
- Farm Rescue: farmrescue.org/
- USDA Disaster Assistance Programs: fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/disaster-assistanceprograms
- Farm Aid: farmaid.org/our-work/family-farm-disaster-fund/
- Farmer Crisis Hotline: 866-586-6746
