Cooperation is order of the day following tornado

They pick up debris. They bring in food and carry water. Theyman the telephones that have been ringing nonstop.

Warwick, the Joliet subdivision where half the 150 brand newhomes were destroyed or badly damaged, provides a capsule view of theenthusiastic volunteer efforts called forth by Tuesday's tornadoes.

"We've been flooded with calls from everybody who wants to comein and help us rebuild," said Judy Gardner, vice president of salesfor Leach Homes of Joliet.

"The people whose homes were destroyed are offering to help, aswell as people in our other subdivisions who weren't touched,"Gardner said. "We've gotten calls from Chicago. We've got peoplefrom California who want to fly in and help. People whose homesweren't hit are running out and helping everybody."

Volunteers, many of them tradesmen, refuse to take a break.

"People have come in here who haven't taken a shower in twodays. I've offered to let them use my house. They won't stop. Theydon't want to lose the daylight. They want to help people," Gardnersaid.

Builder John Leach sold about 250 houses this year at Warwick,which opened in March. About 150 of them had been built when thetornadoes struck.

Half the homes were untouched. Of the other half, 30 wereheavily damaged and 46 were destroyed. There were people living in25 of the destroyed homes, and the other 21 had not yet been handedover to the buyers.

"All the people are real tough. They all want to rebuild assoon as possible," Leach said.

He said all members of the Will County Home Builders Associationhad volunteered to help, and would loan him carpenter crews that willbuild one or two shells each.

Because of the outpouring of help, "All this is doing isthrowing us about a month off schedule. We have not lost a customerbecause of this," Gardner said.

Stiff upper lips and senses of humor are the order of the day.

"One lady came home from work and the house was completely gone.She said, `I guess that takes care of my new drape problems,' " Leachsaid.

He said homeowners insurance covered the occupied houses, andhis own insurance covered those not yet occupied. Each house costsabout $100,000.

"Nobody will suffer any financial damage," he said.

The subdivision is on Hickey Avenue, east of Essington Road.

Leach is noted for letting buyers paint their own home and usethe "sweat equity" as a down payment. He said about half theunoccupied houses destroyed already had been painted by the buyers.

"They won't have to do it twice. I will repaint them" when thehouses are built, he said.