When the Storm Hits: Our Community Rises
Meredith Knopp
May 16 started off like any other day. In fact, it was a beautiful day, filled with sunshine and blue skies. Until around 2:30 pm, when everything started to change. What began with clouds turned to rain and hail, and then the wind, the wind that ended up being an EF3 tornado hitting the heart of our community with 153mph winds.
Yes, on May 16, everything changed in an instant. Homes were damaged and destroyed, and sadly, five members of our community lost their lives. In an instant, everything changed, and our community emerged from the rubble, wondering how they would clean up and clear out the debris, where they could go for help, and who would be there.
The response we have seen in the past 2.5 weeks is the answer to those questions. Hundreds of volunteers from all over the region have rallied to remove trees, bricks, and rubble from sidewalks and streets. Power has been restored thanks to our friends at Ameren. Groups like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Mercy Chefs, World Central Kitchen, and Food is Love started preparing and distributing hot meals. The first responders were there, doing what they do best.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Area Foodbank has been supporting these efforts, and the efforts of our pantry partners. The Urban League hosted amazing community-wide distributions, and other community groups around the area distributed water, food, and supplies to neighbors in need. All the while, we have been preparing for our role as leaders in this space, for the long-term recovery, focused on feeding families in need.
While we have been distributing food to partners and groups in the impact zone during the response phase, we have been working with partners, locally and regionally, to bring in water, food, and supplies for the long haul – the recovery and rebuilding phase. We have been fortunate to work with many businesses and organizations to bring in critical resources that will be deployed at centralized locations, with a group of key partners, to support our community’s long-term needs.
On Saturday, May 30, we held a community-wide donation drive with the Jayson Tatum Foundation, KMOV, and KTRS, asking the community to join us in helping our neighbors. We had no idea what to expect, but we worked hard to plan an event and then could only pray that our community would show up. We hoped to collect enough food and supplies to fill 15-20 gaylords (large boxes that hold thousands of pounds of product). This would allow us to easily send the items out to our community. What happened that day was awe inspiring.
Though the event had just started at 9 am, we already had a full truck return to the Foodbank by 9:30 am to drop off product and then return to the donation drive. All day, from 9 am to 2 pm, the community showed up. Lines of cars filled with food and other supplies drove through with people of all ages and demographics smiling and saying “thank you” for allowing them to contribute and to be part of the solution. It was, candidly, the most beautiful display of kindness, generosity, and everything that is the best in humanity that I have seen in a very, very long time.
Volunteers came out and braved the heat on the blacktop, unloading car after car. Adults and kiddos alike, with smiles on their faces, worked hard knowing that our “work” paled in comparison to the work being done just a few miles away. There was such tremendous joy on that blacktop parking lot at Chaminade College Preparatory School, and when it was all said and done, 75 Gaylords were filled to the top. Donations totaled over 52,000 pounds, and that kindness is now being delivered to neighbors in need.
Community members asked, “when is the next donation drive?”, a question we were not prepared to answer. Thankfully, we can now share that we will do another community drive on Saturday, June 14 from 9 am – 2 pm.
This outpouring of support from our community will go towards the long-term recovery efforts being organized at local churches throughout the impact zone, as well as a centralized response center. This large effort will begin serving our community the week of June 9.
The Disaster Assistance Center will take place June 9-12 (Monday-Thursday), June 16-18 (Monday-Wednesday), and June 23-26 (Monday-Thursday), inside the Chaifetz Arena, located at 1 South Compton Avenue, St. Louis. The hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Residents should register for appointments for the DAC through the City’s website, stlouis-mo.gov/tornado/dac/. Individuals who cannot access the online registration form can call the United Way at 211 to seek assistance with registration. Appointments are for the top of each hour. The DAC process can take an hour to 90 minutes to speak with the various agencies and organizations providing services.
Attendees will need a photo identification with them. If the ID does not contain their current address, individuals will also need proof of their address (e.g., utility bills – electric, water, or phone bill; a piece of mail with the name and address included). Examples of photo ID can be found on the City of St. Louis website. The Missouri Department of Revenue will have its License Office on Wheels on-site to answer questions and replace state driver’s licenses and vehicle titles with proper documentation.
After the tornado struck on May 16, within an hour, the skies cleared, and the sun returned. It didn’t make things better, and it didn’t make it all go away. But it does remind us that even after the storms, the sunshine will return, and that is what we have seen all across our region. Our community has come together to provide hot meals and volunteers, to restore power, and to donate food, and HOPE to our community when they need it most.
We know that nothing will replace all that was lost on May 16, or take away the fear and the hurt. But we also know that together, we can help make lives a little better and a little brighter. We have had the honor to serve and support our community for the past 50 years, and we will be here, serving and supporting our community through this disaster, and for the next 50 years.
To join the St. Louis Area Foodbank, and be part of the long-term recovery efforts, please visit: www.stlfoodbank.org.
