Joplin Tornado Relief Mobilizes Local Volunteers

Growing up in the Midwest, I’ve heard my share of tornado sirens. Dutifully, I trudged down to the basement with my sparse supplies, annoyed that the fickle St. Louis weather was again interfering with my Sunday plans. I had friends whose homes had some pretty bad damage from the recent round of storms, but everyone I knew and loved was safe, even if they were disparaged.

But around our region, tornadoes that have caused massive damage and many deaths, including an estimated 142 estimated deaths in Joplin in southwest Missouri, the National Weather Service reported last month.

The combination of seeing some photos of the initial damage, and the knowledge that it was so close to home spurred me to spend some time on my holiday weekend volunteering there. Leslie Shaw, 23, of Chesterfield accompanied me for Sunday and Monday to help in person.

One of the most striking things was the amount of unrecognizable debris. Shaw and I volunteered at the Joplin Humane Society on Sunday, which wasn't near the damage. On Monday, we helped clear scattered debris that fell outside the tornado path.

It wasn't long, however, before we saw for ourselves just how extensive some of the damage was.

Driving to our overnight accommodations at Kan's Creekside Camping, a local campsite, we came upon an area on Range Line Road that was simply demolished. We saw a clear demarcation of the tornado's path. There was an immediate contrast between standing structures with little or no damage to flattened buildings leveled just next door.

Once we were transported to the sites of damaged homes, these realities became even clearer.

The first thought that came to mind upon seeing the homes was the sheer volume of debris. Relief clean up had been going on for almost a week, but there still were piles of vegetation and building materials left that were taller than me. Every time we found a book, decorations or even a cucumber, it was a reminder that the messes before us were the remnants of someone's home. 

It took about a half-dozen people nearly six hours to clear a single resident's yard that was heavily damaged, but it felt great watching our little space transform. Still, walking around the area when we headed to lunch made me realize just how far away many of these homes were from being livable.

It was the attitude of the volunteers we came across, however, that kept my hopes high for Joplin. One homeowner helped her church set up a distribution center outside her home, with supplies for volunteers and victims. Another group set up a grill to feed volunteers. We met volunteers from Utah, Oklahoma, and Arkansas who were willing to laugh and willing to work.

Even without traveling to Joplin, many local groups have offered their support, including Girl Scout Troop 594 of Town and Country’s , which held a bake sale over the weekend and raised almost $800 for Joplin families.

“We learned that everyone in Joplin that was known to the families at the school had lost their homes as a result of the tornado touching down in Joplin,” said Martha Vance, who helped organized the bake sale, which originally was meant to raise money for summer activities. The Girl Scouts unanimously voted, however, to put the profits towards helping Joplin.

The also collected donations from the community, which were transported to Joplin over the weekend. The church was able to fill a moving truck with donations, organizers said, and were able to take monetary and giftcard donations to affected families as well.

“I couldn’t even sit down--there were people pulling in with (Chevy) Suburbans of stuff, everything you can think of,” said Lacie Adler, a mother of four and church member who created the drive. She and her husband moved to the Ellisville area from Joplin, and originally wanted to go there simply to aid family members who had lost their homes. Adler’s grandmother-in-law died as a result of the tornado.

What started out as an online posting on Facebook to her 120 friends, however, quickly spread, and Adler had to call on other church members to help her keep up with the outpour of donations.

Seeing the destruction with my own eyes helped me appreciate the work of the upstanding people in Ballwin and Ellisville, Joplin and the Midwest. But it also made me realize that while the tornado itself is gone, its effects will last for many months and possibly years. For those who lost loved ones, its impact will last a lifetime.

There still are many ways to help this town, and several informational websites have been set up to assist. Americorps, Red Cross, United Way and many grassroots organizations also have provided aid. If you would like to donate or volunteer for Joplin’s recovery, here is a partial list of resources:

• Joplin, MO, Tornado Recovery (Facebook)

• American Red Cross, Greater Ozarks Chapter

• United Way’s 211 Missouri