STARKVILLE, MS, December 2, 2010 – The American Red Cross, the Mississippi Development Housing Authority, and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership are working together to find housing options for the Starkville families whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in Monday night’s tornado. Red Cross caseworkers are meeting with the 33 families to determine their needs for housing, food, clothing, health and emotional care.
Red Cross volunteers are distributing clean-up kits and comfort kits throughout the Pines Manufactured Home Community. Regal Inn and Microtel have been working with Red Cross to provide housing and feeding. McDonald’s, Bojangles and Meadow View Baptist Church are also helping with feeding for the more than 100 families affected in the Pines neighborhood.
The Starkville fire department provided heating and lighting for the Red Cross emergency aid station Tuesday night when temperatures hovered near freezing. The aid station served families as they started assessing their situation. “We’re really supportive of the Red Cross work,” said Fire Chief Rodger Mann. Red Cross has a new shelter agreement with Meadow View Baptist Church, which was on stand-by for this disaster.
Anyone affected by this disaster who needs assistance should call the Starkville office at 662-323-4621.
Mississippi – Severe storms created tornadoes throughout the state that destroyed homes, damaged others and caused power outages to residents within the affected areas on Monday. Tornado Watches are in effect. Multiple injures were reported.
The Chapters deployed Disaster Action Teams, communicated with local and state emergency management agencies and provided assistance as needed to disaster victims. Chapters continue to monitor events as they develop.
Brett Montague, director of disaster services for the South Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, talks about the importance of having supplies staged and ready during hurricane season.
Sandra Torres of Ripley, Mississippi came to Pike County, Kentucky to help others, but she started working with the Red Cross to help herself. “Eight years ago my husband was unexpectedly killed and I needed a way to fill my time;” Torres explained. “In the process I realized how helping others was helping me heal.”
Since 2002 Torres has served as a Disaster Relief volunteer and she estimates that her deployment to Pike County is her 35 relief operation assignment. Torres’ first introduction to the Red Cross came in 1998 when she took a CPR class. At that time, an instructor told her about other volunteer opportunities. It was four years later, after her husband’s death, when she first volunteered. She soon found herself in Corpus Christi, Texas responding to massive river flooding.
Sandra was a mass care volunteer on her first assignment and while she found that experience rewarding she wanted an opportunity to work with clients one-on-one. Torres, who is fluent in both Spanish and American Sign Language, is now a client caseworker.
This story was written by Red Cross worker Janice Osborne.
The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, one of the nation’s leading state broadcast associations, asked all of their stations to sign-on to a Media Day for the American Red Cross. At least 75 stations agreed to participate in the May 12 event to focus on the efforts of the Red Cross in responding to the double-dose of storms the state received. Donations to the American Reed Cross Disaster Relief Fund were encouraged.
From Adams County to Lee County, television and radio stations across the state praised the work of the American Red Cross following the recent tornadoes and asked listeners to give what they could to the relief fund.
“We are very grateful to the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters for partnering with the Red Cross in this fundraising effort,” said Larry Bartrem, disaster fundraising officer and coordinator of the project. “The media have been extremely supportive in getting critical Red Cross information out to the public before, during and after the recent tornadoes.”
This story was written by Red Cross worker Tamica Smith-Jeuitt.
Tamica Smith-Jeuitt and Robert Lee Woods pictured at University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Lee Woods knows first hand that Red Cross donations are getting to the people who need it, but he admits that he did not always feel this way, “I was probably like a lot of people who say they aren’t giving that money to people, but now I know and it’s been a big help for me and my family,” he said.
The 25-year-old was living in a home with his aunt and uncle prior to the tornado that destroyed their house in Yazoo City, Mississippi. The storm nearly cost Lee his life, and ended his hopes of becoming a firefighter.
Check out the latest update on how we are serving communities affected by severe floods and tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Many states across the southern U.S. have suffered damage brought on by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding. Check out how your Red Cross is helping those affected – by the numbers.
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