I am completely speechless by what I am seeing all over the news. The tornadoes that continue to devastate community after community and state after state are just completely horrific! We must all stand in the gap for all of these victims and PRAY! Our prayers are with you!! If you were hit by these tornadoes, or if you know someone who was, let us hear from you. Please tell us how we can be of best help in a situation like this. Tell us how we can pray for you. We want to hear your story and your heart. Feel free to leave a comment on this blog post or you can email me at Kelly@OrdinaryHero.org. If you have pictures you would like me to post of the seriousness of this devastation, feel free to email them to me. We, at Ordinary Hero, are praying about what would be the best possible way we can help during this devastation in our country. The strength and endurance I have seen on TV from the victims is truly remarkable. Our hearts and prayers are with all of these tornado victims.
Hi Kelly!
ReplyDeleteYou are so awesome for posting about this. Joplin is near and dear to my heart as that is where my husband and I went to Bible college at Ozark Christian College. In keeping up with our former classmates and college profs, we found out the college (which stands on top of the hill at the end of main street) was unharmed and that FEMA and the Red Cross are using it as their home base. The college has opened up all its dorms for displaced people. The faculty and staff (all of which survived but many lost homes) are helping there. Internet is down in a lot of places, but they are receiving donations/packages at 1111 North Main St. Joplin, MO 64801, the college address. College Christian Church is a church in town that is coordinating some local relief efforts, aside from the already trained rescue/medical teams there. I don't know the current contact person for the church but you can contact Meredith Williams (director at OCC) for further info via their facebook page--Ozark Christian College. That seems to be the only way they are receiving communication at this time. Keith Stammer, a graduate of OCC, is the city of Joplin's Emergency Management Director and there may be a way to track him down and see if he has additional details that would help volunteers know what is the most helpful at this time. From what I understand, the college is supporting the media's stance on discouraging people from showing up to help unless they are professionally trained. With gas lines, power lines, and water mains destroyed they are on a "boil your own water" notice and they currently do not have accommodations for the surge of extra volunteers coming (I guess unless people have RVs or something:)) Anyway, hope that helps! My husband and I were just wanting to get a on a plane and go help, but looks like praying and seeing where our funds can go right now seems to be the most helpful for them. Many of our classmates serve as pastors in churches across the midwest and south, so it may be if you post something on the college page that a coordinated drop off to one of those churches (who are already going to make deliveries) might make sense.
Again, Ordinary Hero rocks. Praying and excited to be his hands and feet with people like you all!
Love,
Rory Cookman
Portland, Oregon
woosterweester@aol.com
Forgot to leave the info:
ReplyDeleteCollege Heights Christian Church.
They are a distribution hub.
4311 E. Newman Rd.
Joplin, MO 64801
417-624-6915
http://www.chcchurch.org/the-storm
Immediate needs:
socks, flip flops, underwear, clothing for men/women/children--all sizes, blankets, baby food/formula/diapers, water, hygiene products, basic medical supplies i.e. tylenol/bandages, non-perishable foods.