Crossroads Church sheltered tornado victims in Washington, Ill.

WASHINGTON, Ill. (WLS) -- When the tornado hit early Sunday morning on Nov. 17, 2013, many people were inside Crossroads United Methodist Church. After seeing the storm's damage, many more came in looking for relief. The church soon became ground zero for those seeking food, shelter and hope.

The kitchen at the church usually doubles as a storm shelter. After the tornado ripped through the center of Washington last year, it served as so much more.

"Because there were people here, we started looking for ways to feed people that were here. That multiplied rather exponentially over the coming days because we had people organize our feeding. By the end of the week, we were serving thousands of meals throughout that week," said Casey Taylor, Associate Pastor at Crossroads.

People piled in by the hundreds and generosity quickly followed.

"We had pallets full of bottled water, our hallways lined with bottles water," Taylor said. "We had clothing that appeared."

The church received so many supplies they had to turn them away, except for monetary donations. The church also served as a staging area for insurance companies and relief workers to have a central location to meet people's needs. Some volunteers stayed through the long nights.

"I was just trying to help them," said Brenda Thornburg, a volunteer. "A lot of them just needed a place to land. A place to have a hug."

Only two churches were damaged during the storm. The tornado came within a few blocks of the Crossroads Church and made a slight turn.