A handful of Springfield businesses are responding to the deadly EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20.
Led by Convoy of Hope’s disaster response team, which had a crew on the ground by 6:15 p.m. May 20 to assess the damage, aid such as food, water and emergency supplies have been delivered and are being collected by area companies.
While Convoy’s ground team was coordinating response efforts and others were loading trucks overnight at the World Distribution Center, 330 S. Patterson Ave., the Springfield-based disaster response organization’s first tractor-trailers left town for Moore yesterday morning.
“We’ve unloaded the trucks and are ready to get water and food into the hands of people who need it,” disaster response coordinator Ryan Grabill said today on a Convoy
blog, The Hope Supply. “There are thousands of people here who are now homeless, and we want to reach as many of them as we can.”
In addition to three tractor-trailers, Convoy’s disaster response mobile command center, a box truck and debris removal equipment also are on site. Convoy officials said the response efforts would last for several weeks.
In partnership with Springfield trucking company Prime Inc., Mid-West Family Radio today is holding a “stuff the truck” event in the Food 4 Less Shopping Center, 319 E. Battlefield Road, to collect bottled water, work gloves, baby wipes and diapers. Once full, Prime drivers will deliver the supplies to the disaster area through Convoy of Hope.
Information technology services firm
JMark Business Solutions Inc. said in a news release today it would send up to 10 staff members to Moore to help with everything from chainsaw work to IT connectivity. The release said the company’s goal was to help get organizations and businesses functioning, with an emphasis on medical facilities.
Company officials have asked clients to be patient with JMark’s response times the next few days, considering the lighter team on hand.
Birmingham, Ala.-based Regions Bank has established the American Red Cross’ Tornado Disaster Relief Fund, and each of its branches are accepting tax-deductible donations. The bank’s hometown was hit with a deadly tornado in April 2011 and again in January 2012, though to a lesser degree.
“We are all too familiar with the devastation and loss that comes from these types of storms, and our hearts go out to those in Oklahoma,” said Lajuana Bradford, the department head for Regions’ corporate social responsibility. “Now is the time to reach out and offer the help and assistance people need to begin rebuilding.”[[In-content Ad]]
