It was a beautiful day in the sunshine state. The sky was clear and the weather felt perfect. I felt like I didn’t have a care in the world. My day consisted of lounging by the pool, catching up on my latest celebrity gossip and then heading to the outlet mall. I never would have guessed that something happening in the Midwest could hit this Floridian girl so close to home.
As my friends and I were browsing through the latest sales I got the phone call from my mom. I could tell that something was wrong. A strong storm had just devastated Joplin, Missouri she was telling me; it was all over the news. My heart stopped as my thoughts went straight to my aunt and uncle. “Are they ok?” I asked anxiously. “No one has heard anything,” she told me. Suddenly, clothes were the furthest thing from my mind. I needed to find a television.
The images that came pouring in from the news stations were unbelievable. Pictures flashed across the screen, the Govenor was calling for any kind of disaster recovery help other cities could send. The devastation was unimaginable and to think my aunt and uncle were in the middle of it all was unbearable. To say I was worried about them would be a huge understatement, especially after hearing over a hundred were declared dead with countless more injured.
We heard from them the next day. They were okay and their property had some damage, but they said it was nothing, especially considering most people no longer had a foundation. What we heard from them only enhanced our worst fears. Joplin was obliterated. There was no doubt in my mind; I had to help.
My mom came up with the brilliant idea of having a sort of charity auction at our church with proceeds going to the victims of the Joplin disaster. Our church loved the idea and my mom and I set about organizing it right away. We went to local businesses to see if they could help in any way possible. The donations we received were fantastic but we really hit the gold mine when one of our elderly church members agreed to donate valuables that she said she no longer any use for. Thanks to these incredible gifts and other generous donations we received through other church members and local businesses we were able to raise thousands which was incredible.
I was able to present the money firsthand when my mom and I went to Joplin to offer what help we could a couple of weeks later. Seeing the devastation in person was incredible. The mile wide tornado left the town in ruins as debris littered the ground as far as the eye can see. I found it hard to believe that one tornado could leave such destruction. It seemed more like an atomic bomb had been dropped on the town.
In the midst of all this horrific destruction, people came together from near and far to help their fellow man. It great to see all these individuals and groups come together to offer what assistance they could. Being able to be a part of that was a wonderful experience. We were able to do a lot in the little time we were able to spend there, but so much still needs to be done. It’s been a month now and Joplin is slowly rebuilding but they still need as much help as possible. This site offers a number of links and opportunities to help. Thank you for listening to my story and I (along with the folks of Joplin) would greatly appreciate any help you could offer.
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