Tornadoes – Your Help Is Needed
*All of the photos featured in this post were taken from my area of Alabama. Special thanks to facebook friends for allowing me to use them.
I’ve received countless emails asking if we were alright after last week’s devastating tornadoes and I’ve tried to respond as best I can. I’ve also received countless emails from a lot of folks who must not realize that I live in Alabama and we are in the midst of the biggest natural disaster in the history of the state. Please rest assured that my family is fine. We still have our home and the worst on our end was losing all of our refrigerated and frozen items as we had to do without power for a few days. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and concern and hope that you will continue to keep Alabama and those who lost everything in your prayers.
A lot of folks don’t realize how devastating these tornadoes were because the national news has kinda moved on a bit. I now understand how so many of you feel when you go through something horrific and get fifteen minutes of coverage while you spend days and weeks of folks wondering how they will survive, then months and years struggling to rebuild while Lady Gaga’s outfit makes front page of yahoo.
We are digging out here in Alabama. More states were hit and they all suffered considerable blows but I can only share with you what it is like where I am. Many people are still without power. Without hot water, without a means of cooking, storing, and even acquiring food. What’s worse though, many families are without homes entirely. They have lost everything they own and precious loved ones as well.
Bin Laden may be gone, but so are these people’s houses.
A lot of people who understand our situation here have been asking how they can help. We have received countless prayers and notes of understanding from Katrina victims, Rita victims, etc. All folks who have been here and know all too well the frustration many are feeling right now.
A lot of folks are hearing about the horrific damage in Tuscaloosa and don’t realize how widespread the damage is beyond that.
To help put it in perspective, I live about three hours north of Tuscaloosa. In this area alone we lost over 350 homes.
That is 350 families who have lost everything. People have come from all over with utility companies from four different states working around the clock to try to restore power to those families who are still fortunate enough to have their homes. Police officers and volunteers from as far as New Jersey have come down to pitch in with the effort to remove debris, recover what property they can for those whose homes are gone, and pitch in to fill whatever needs arise.
Today I went to the Monrovia Community Center, located just ten minutes or so from my house. My brother took his grills and smokers there and has been cooking for folks since last Thursday. I joined my dad and uncle Jerry there to see what was needed and was able to talk with our county commissioner, Dale Strong. Dale is a good guy, he and I used to ride the bus together as kids. He has been working nonstop and his efforts and those of thousands of volunteers have really drawn the community together.
They have set up a command center at the Monrovia Community Center. They are feeding over 5000 people per day and have been since Thursday. They also have food being transported to over 2500 people in the area who do not have vehicles to come to the center.
My power came back on last night and I was thrilled to be able to get the fixings for a few dishes to take today when I went to meet with them and see where help was needed.
My dad was working out front and a lady pulled up with children to pick up some clothing. He said “Ma’am, theres food in there if you want any.” She looked skeptical and said “How much does it cost?” to which he replied “Nothing, absolutely free. Take your whole family in and eat all you want, then come back for supper”.
Inside volunteers work out of a tiny kitchen preparing food and serving it buffet style as it comes off the grills or out of the small work space. Homeless families and volunteers file in constantly to fill their plates and enjoy what for many will be their only meal of the day.
The hallway is lined with boxes filled with sack lunches that will be taken out into the field to volunteers who don’t want to stop working long enough to come to the center.
When they are finished they can go into one of two gymnasiums. One is lined with groceries, toiletries, diapers, personal items. People are escorted around as they fill boxes to help them get whatever it is they need, no questions asked. The other gymnasium has clothing separated by size and gender that folks are welcome to as well as toys. I saw many families leave with small children clutching toys they had just gotten, which can be a tremendous comfort to kids who don’t understand why they have lost everything their little hearts held dear.
- Most of our schools are still closed.
- Over 152,000 people are going on their sixth day without power
- Far too many are without homes.
- We are still under curfew, thankfully, to protect us from looting and lack of street and traffic lights at night.
- Even in the best of situations, having only lost all of your cold and frozen groceries, many people simply do not have the money to go restock.
How you can help:
Of course, please give where your heart tells you to. There are national organizations taking money but we have seen very little of them. Instead, the community has pulled together to help the community. The national media has moved on so if you are reading this, you are our media.
Post a link to this article on your fb page. If you have damage in your area, facebook about it, blog about it, tweet about it, help get word out so that those who need help have a better chance of getting it.
Dale Strong is leading the efforts with the tremendous help and organization of a local church group, The Rock. They are taking donations and using them to provide food and needed items at the community center I visited today as well as five other similar centers.
Dale urges people to donate any amount of money that they can and the Rock has a page set up to accept donations. I’ve worked with these folks at The Rock before. They help run Manna House, our local soup kitchen that I did a benefit book signing for and they are good people. Dale said every penny they get and then some is going directly to those in need in the wake of the tornadoes. I’ve heard many national organizations take a large portion of donations to cover administration costs but every penny of what you give to the folks below will go directly to the people affected by the disaster in my area.
For a listing of other organizations accepting donations, please click here to visit my friend Wade’s blog post.
You are welcome to list your organization in the comments below provided it is a verifiable charitable organization that is giving at least 80% of donations directly back to the public (ie. not reserving 30% or more for “administration” costs).
For those who have lost nearly everything, any amount will make a difference.
The national media has moved on. You are the media now.
Gratefully,
Christy
When something happens like these tornadoes it is truly a blessing that we so quickly turn to help our neighbors and share the best we can. We live in the FL panhandle and the last big hurricane we got here the day after the storm the radio was announcing which parking lot which group/club/church from Alabama was set up at to hand out ice, water, food, baby supplies. In the near 40 years of being around these storms I’ve never had a group from Alabama that would take a penny for their help. I hope we can be as good friends and neighbors back to you in your needs.
Through the eyes of the media we see mostly only the worst of humanity on a daily basis. I wish we could put every act of kindness that is has been shown since the devastating tornadoes ripped through our state on television. So many people have pitched in to help our state. During this time there is no Republicans, Democrats, Auburn fans, Alabama fans etc… We are just neighbor helping neighbor. I’m truly seeing God’s commandment to “love our neighbor as ourselves” being put into action. I want to thank anyone who has made a monetary donation to help Alabama’s disaster victims, to anyone who has sent supplies, food or offered up prayers to God for us or put their arms around someone who is hurting and gave them a hug. I dodged the bullet this time but I am a survivor of the 1974 tornado outbreak in Alabama that destroyed my family home. I want anyone who has helped in any way to know how much it means to the families that are suffering right now. So many acts of kindness were shown to me and my family when we went through this and I remember how that made me feel (even 37 years later). They will never forget it. God Bless You, Tanya Edwards
God Bless you and the many others that are providing food, clothing, etc. to those that have lost everything. Thank God their lives were spared! The USA is such a strong nation and I am so proud to be an American! We all pull together when tragic happens to help our fellow neighbors!!!
Again, God Bless all of you!!!!
I am so sorry for the damage done in your homestate. I cannot possibly imagine what the victims are going through. My husband is in Cullman Alabama with a team of volunteers with Lowes trying tol help in anyway possible . Our church will continue to pray for your previous state to have a quick recovery. I plan on volunteering with the red cross a soon as my husband is back home to be with our children I have prayed that you and your family was safe through these horrific storms. May god bless you, your family, and all states affected by these record breaking storms.
Truly in my prayers ,
Leslie D. Wilkerson
Christy:
We’re in NC (about 20 mi. north of the tornado damaged Sanford). So many of us want to help, but we’re not sure how OR if what we give is even reaching you ALL in Alabama. With the direct link to Paypal( “The Rock” has provided), it has allowed us to contribute, knowing it will get to you all. Thank you for posting how to help, and being so “hands on” in your community.
Valarie
Praying for these families, I will definitely check out The Rock to see how I can help. I was in a devastating tornado at age 10 in Wichita Falls, TX on April 10, 1979, so I can relate to the heartache and loss they are feeling. Even though I was young, that terror-filled day still affects me when bad weather comes along. We lost everything, but our family was spared through the Grace of God and we lived in FEMA housing for quite a while, but we had a roof over our heads and for that I was thankful. Christy, thanks for all you and others in your area are doing for these families….you are showing God to them through your actions of loving and caring.
Christy, thanks for posting this — I posted it on facebook…where I have to say I’m really tired of reading about all the different ways of looking at the recent news about bin Laden’s death…and no reminder that the aftermath of the tornadoes isn’t over just because it isn’t mentioned in the news…