Volunteers donate time to aid search

Throughout the last 10 days, the search for missing student Lauren Spierer, has grown from her parents and friends searching for her to about 1,000 people volunteering each day.

Community members have ridden in boats on Griffy Lake, searched woods, dug through trash and scoured residential neighborhoods for any clues that might lead to Lauren.

Through this search, dedicated community members have stepped up to help. Although Lauren’s friends and family have flown in from New York, volunteers that have never even met Lauren or her family have come from around the country to offer their assistance.

Robert Spierer, Lauren’s father, has repeatedly thanked volunteers and said they give him the strength to continue searching each day.

“The volunteers continue to overwhelm us,” he said at Sunday’s press conference at the Bloomington Police Department. “Every resident should be proud to be a part of this community.”

The Indiana Daily Student has spent time each day on these searches.. This is just a small glimpse into the people who have dedicated themselves completely to the search.

*  *  *

John Jones was told to make the trip to Bloomington on Monday, and he hasn’t
left since.

He’s an employee of Buckingham Properties, which owns the Smallwood Plaza property.

When news spread that Lauren was missing, he was sent down to help run the headquarters. He said he’s in for the long run, and he’s not leaving until the searches end.

He arrives at the headquarters at 6 a.m. each day and doesn’t leave until 8 p.m. After a long day he heads to his Hilton Garden hotel room, kicks off his shoes and falls asleep with the TV on.

Jones stands behind the counter of The Copper Cup, which has been closed for three months, offering volunteers water and fresh fruit. Bananas, oranges, apples and bagels replace pastries that once sat in the glass display.

All the food Jones offers has been donated. He comes in each day and plans the day’s meals. At 3 p.m. Saturday, he was already planning breakfast for the following morning.

He says when people walk in after a search, they are often tense and will ignore his smile and offers of free food.

“You can tell by looking at people’s faces that they’re on a mission,” Jones said. “People will come here and it will take them time to wind down.”

As for Jones, he says the pressure hasn’t gotten to him. He’s brought more employees from his corporate office to help so he could send others home for the weekend.
But when asked why he hadn’t taken a day off, Jones replied, “Not me. I can
handle it.”

*  *  *

Richard Friedman has been camping in a tent by Lake Monroe all week. He’s an EMT from Indianapolis and has had training in ground search and rescue. He’s also the father of three children, ages 27, 29 and 31, which is why he decided to come
to  help.

He’s been on so many searches that he can’t remember specifically where
he’s been.

“You try to cover something as thoroughly as you can,” he said. “You’re filling in a grid, and negative information of where she isn’t is still important. You have to think about it like that.”

Around 4 p.m. Saturday, he sat in a cushioned chair in his camouflage pants, black boots and sunglasses that hung from his neck by a blue cord.

Three other men he had met throughout the searches sat around him. One man was from McCordsville, Ind., and the other two were parents of Lauren’s friends who flew in from New York.

They’d only met each other that morning, but they traveled together during the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. search and planned to go out together again at 5:30 p.m.

“I’ve met excellent people while I was here,” Friedman said. “I regret the circumstances, but I’ve met some very fine people.”

Friedman had a couple days off work, so he volunteered to come down.
“I’d like somebody to call and say we found her so we don’t have to do this anymore,”
he said.

*  *  *
Don Cranfill hasn’t spent a night at home since last Wednesday. He’s been spending the night at the volunteer headquarters, so the doors are always open.

“There’s an outside chance that someone might have a guilty conscience and want to come down and just talk,” he said. “I don’t want those doors to be closed.”

The open sign on what used to be The Copper Cup is now always turned on. He’s been showering at Cardinal Fitness, which is only a few steps away from the entrance to Smallwood Plaza.

He’s recognized by many with his goatee and white hat, and he’s often the man
holding the highlighter that traces the blocks and streets on the maps the volunteers are handed three times a day.

He originally came to Smallwood on Tuesday morning and just planned to attend one search, but ended up staying all night outside Smallwood before they had a headquarters. He’s been told his unofficial title is deputy director.

There are about two dozen people like Cranfill who have become full-time volunteers. Although most of them don’t know the family, Cranfill said they’re all compelled because they are “people with morals.”

Jennifer Mattos is another one of those couple dozen volunteers.

She, like Cranfill, arrived Tuesday morning for a shift. She travels a lot for her job, and when she was in town Tuesday for work, she said she felt compelled to help.

“This could have easily been me,” she said. “I used to go salsa dancing, and I’d walk home at 3 a.m.”

She took Saturday off but kept calling because she was worried they needed her. Volunteering has become her part-time job.

The same can be said for Cranfill and many of the other volunteers. When asked how long Cranfill plans to volunteer, he said, “As long as it takes. I’ve made a commitment, and I’m not giving up.”