Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund

Dear GlobalGivers,

Nearly four months after the 2013 Moore tornado, which killed 23 people and injured 377 others, the people of Oklahoma continue to recover in the face of adversity. Your contribution took a huge weight off their shoulders, allowing many to begin a speedy recovery. Several GlobalGiving partner organizations were able to respond to the needs of these people thanks to your donation, here’s what some of them were able to accomplish:

• K.I.D.S Oklahoma Relief Efforts (Kids in Distressed Situations) allied with Fashion Delivers and distributed new apparel and home items to more than 1,000 school children and family members affected by the tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma. Burlington Coat Factory also provided 10 pallets of merchandise, while BOBS from Skechers and Shoe Carnival donated 3,000 pair of children’s shoes. The companies’ employees also volunteered to set up and staff the event. The remaining merchandise from the event was given to local charities serving tornado victims in Pottawatomie County and the Oklahoma City area. There were also 200 fifty-dollar Burlington gift cards delivered to these charities. Together, K.I.D.S and Fashion Delivers distributed approximately $7 million worth of merchandise to partners and organizations helping Oklahoma tornado survivors. 

• Do Your Part has assisted in rescuing horses and reconnecting them with their families. They have worked with veterinarian hospitals and clinics to get medical supplies for these animals. Do Your Part has also purchased fencing materials, flooring, insulation, and materials for a handicapped ramp, for volunteers to install. The organization has also established a Facebook page where people can get and offer help. For the moment, they are working on a water line project, which was destroyed during the storm. Gift Cards for families to get food, gas, clothes, and school supplies were also distributed.  

• Architecture for Humanity has been assisting communities, meeting local authorities, and assessing the emerging needs and long term priorities of the towns affected by the tornado. The work in these afflicted areas mainly consists of debris removal, mostly from residential neighborhoods. City crews and other contractors continued removing debris through July and August. The organization has also a strong presence on the ground, where veteran volunteer Tommy Stewart has been meeting with other organizations and individuals involved with the recovery efforts and assisting with post disaster damage assessments for homeowners. Mr. Stewart has also been liaising with the Long Term Recovery Committee for the May 18-June 2, a committee that recently acknowledged that its members are still involved with immediate family and individual needs, and that the long term reconstruction talks are far from now.  

• GlobalGiving’s support to the American Humane Association allowed its Red Star Animal Emergency Services team to provide humane intervention to the impacted area in order to deliver values of compassion, care, and hope. The Red Star team stayed in Oklahoma for 30 days - the longest deployment since Hurricane Katrina. They were able to rescue and shelter more than 200 animals, reunite nearly 100 of them with their families, and place some with rescues and get many into good, loving homes during an Adopt-a-Thon. Last, the team assisted the City of Moore on writing an animal disaster plan for future emergencies. Training courses about basic knowledge of disaster response were given in the area in order to build a better responder base in the community. 

Thank you for your contribution to the Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. Your kindness allowed for these organizations to quickly mobilize and helped those who needed it the most, offer training courses in disaster relief, and helped animals reconnect with their families.

We will keep you updated in the following months; however, feel free to let us know if you have any questions or thoughts in the comment section below.

Thank you.