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5-year-old Georgia girl travels to tornado-stricken town to hand out pizza, help clean up

The family drove from Columbus to Talbotton, Georgia, to see how they could help those impacted by deadly tornadoes.

TALBOTTON, Ga. — A 5-year-old girl brought some sunshine to Talbotton, Georgia on Saturday, as families struggle to rebuild after a confirmed EF-3 tornado touched down in Talbot County.

Donna Bondurant, her daughter, Kristen Lothspeich and her 5-year-old daughter, Emily Massey, drove from Columbus to Talbotton to “see how they could help,” Bondurant said. 

“It was very sobering and just sad. People who’s lives have been turned upside down in the blink of an eye,” Bondurant said.

Her family is only about 30 minutes from Beauregard, Alabama, which saw extreme devastation from the storms. In all, 23 people were killed in Lee County, including children.

Bondurant said that, when they reached Talbotton, her 5-year-old granddaughter wanted to get out and talk to people. She also helped pick up trash.

Credit: Donna Bondurant
5-year-old Emily Massey helps clean up trash in Talbotton, Georgia, a town devastated by an EF-3 tornado.

“Emily was sad that people didn’t have any food or a bed to sleep in, and that the children lost all their toys,” Bondurant said. “She wanted to get out of the vehicle and help her mom pass out pizza to people, and I was so proud of her for showing such empathy at such a young age.”

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