Emergency and Disaster Response
World Vision responds to severe weather in Minnesota
Text 'Tornado' to '20222' to donate $10 to World Vision's Disaster Relief Fund
Photos by Phyllis Freeman / © World Vision.
As communities across the South reel from the deadliest natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Katrina, World Vision is appealing for $5 million to assist tornado survivors in an extensive, multi-state response effort.
- Recovery teams focusing on most vulnerable tornado survivors, especially children
- Fundraising needs still falling short, many relief groups report
- World Vision's tornado fundraising appeal increased from $3 million to $5 million for extended tornado response
- WV recovery teams providing ongoing relief to tornado survivors throughout U.S. (Minnesota, Missouri, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, etc)
- The public can help by making a one-time donation to our U.S. Disaster Response Fund, calling (888) 56-CHILD, or by texting 'TORNADO' to '20222' to give a $10 donation. Your gift will help us respond quickly and effectively to life-threatening emergencies right here in the United States, like these storms and tornadoes.
A tornado hit the northern part of this major city, which includes World Vision's U.S. facilities serving the Twin Cities. This tornado displaced at least 74 families and significantly damaged at least 230 houses. Schools and churches have contacted WV staff to request assistance. Distributions of prepositioned supplies have since begun.
World Vision has distributed tornado relief product to local partners, including churches, organizations and schools. World Vision staff members will continue to fill requests for disaster relief product using the organization's local warehouse where pre-positioned items such as shoes, clothing and hygiene items have been pre-positioned.
How World Vision Responded to Devastation in Twin Cities
World Vision Twin Cities focused on children and families impacted by May 22nd's tornado that ripped through N. Minneapolis leaving hundreds of people homeless or with homes significantly damaged. The Christian aid organization partnered with local churches, schools, and community partners throughout the Twin Cities area to provide clothing and emergency resources to the most vulnerable neighborhoods and communities impacted by the tornado.
"The tornado hit one of the worst possible parts of our city in an area World Vision is already serving," said Chris Brooks, World Vision's Twin Cities Field Site Director. "These families were already distressed and had very little resources. We drove through the tornado damaged areas to see how we can help and were heartbroken to see children standing in debris."
"Our World Vision staff knows these neighborhoods well and we knew someone had to focus on the kids," said Chris Brooks, World Vision's Twin Cities Field Site Director. "People are living without much of anything right now but we're especially concerned about children in these communities falling through the cracks."
World Vision's local Twin Cities site consists of a 29,500 square foot warehouse that contains relief and recovery essentials that are prepositioned for emergency response, such as personal hygiene items and clean-up supplies. Brooks said his team will be providing resources for children and families where World Vision has already been serving and says several local schools specifically requested clothing items and basic school supplies for students.
"Our Twin Cities site has enough in stock right now that we can give every child in the tornado zone a pair of new shoes," said Brooks. "We're also going to send school supplies to every school in the zone that needs it because we don't want schools to have to skip a beat."
"We've been working around the clock in Tuscaloosa all month and the common request we get from survivors is to remind people not to forget what's happened to them," said Phyllis Freeman, World Vision's domestic emergency response director and a veteran of the agency's Hurricane Katrina response. "We've had back-to-back tornadoes devastate families and children all across this country but we refuse to let any survivor fall through the cracks."
World Vision response teams are also continuing relief work in Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, AL, World Vision has served 6,700 tornado survivors since April 27th. World Vision's new domestic disaster headquarters is based in North Texas and provides high-quality resources nationwide to partners in areas impacted by disaster situations.
Help now
Make a one-time donation to our U.S. Disaster Response Fund or text 'TORNADO' to '20222' to give a $10 donation. Your gift will help us respond quickly and effectively to life-threatening emergencies right here in the United States, like the recent tornadoes in Missouri, Minnesota and Alabama.
Find out how your church can help provide vital supplies to tornado survivors.
Please pray for survivors of these deadly storms, especially those who have been left homeless or otherwise vulnerable.
Text 'Tornado' to '20222' to donate $10 to World Vision's Disaster Relief Fund
