Monday Ten

Ten Ways to Help Joplin Residents Recover from Yesterday's Tornado:

1. Give money to Convoy of Hope and the American Red Cross. Both agencies use money to buy supplies in the affected regions.
2. Give blood at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks. There is a Red Alert in the Ozarks for O-negative blood.
3. Volunteer if you have medical skills or have equipment to sift through debris. All volunteers are asked to report to the Leggett & Platt recreation center in the Missouri Southern State University campus.
4. Several organizations are accepting donations of non-perishable goods, such as blankets, water and the like. One such organization in Springfield is Ozarks Technical Community College at National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway.
5. Stay out of the area is you aren't there to volunteer. People who are not part of the organized effort only get in the way, and waste manpower. Disasters tend to bring out a lot of gawkers. But, many times, the police will let you gawk at the inside of a jail cell if you are in the way.
6. This week, and especially this weekend, many church groups will be sending teams to help Joplin clean up the debris. Be a part of those efforts if you can. Joplin is our neighbor.
7. I heard from a friend in another state this morning. Her church is going to gather donations to send to Joplin. You don't have to live in the neighborhood to love your neighbor.
8. Several schools and churches were damaged or destroyed. These centers for the community will need help rebuilding. Maybe you have something they need.
9. To locate loved ones in the Joplin area, visit www.safeandwell.org or call 417.659.5464.
10. Pray ... a lot. For those of us not in the area, we cannot imagine the horror and devastation. These people need us to pray for them.