Convoy of Hope sends tornado, flood aid

Springfield-based nonprofit Convoy of Hope has delivered more than 1 million pounds of relief supplies to Alabama since destructive tornadoes hit the state in late April.

Convoy of Hope volunteers have worked more than 15,000 hours in relief effort for tornado survivors, according to a news release.

Karen Benson, Convoy of Hope director of disaster response, said the nonprofit is shifting its efforts to flood-affected areas in the Midwest.

"In the days ahead, as Convoy of Hope workers prepare to hand distribution operations over to our local partners in Alabama, we will turn our focus to monitoring, assessing and serving families affected by the Midwest flooding,” Benson said in the release.

Food and water already have been sent to Poplar Bluff to aid sandbagging crews, and Convoy of Hope partnered with United Methodist Church to ship to Sikeston flood buckets - containing such items as gloves, detergent, cleaning towels, hand sanitizer, trash bags and sponges.

“Our response to the tornado victims and those affected by flooding is long from over,” Jeff Nene, Convoy's senior director of public relations, said in the release. “We will be involved in these responses for some time to come.”

Convoy of Hope accepts donations online.