Local aid delivered to storm ravaged Moore

On Saturday, June 8, Melanie Hebert and Theresa Stanley delivered donations totaling $7,692 in monetary help and 222 containers of laundry detergent from this area to Moore, Okla. where a two-mile wide tornado claimed the lives of 24 people including 10 children and injured 377 others.

Additionally, the team brought Railroad Festival and Mayhaw Festival t-shirts, donated by the DeQuincy Federated Service League and the Starks Business and Civic Association, respectively.

“I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in this area,” said Stanley who said that there were people who made sure that money was supplied for the gasoline for the women to get the supplies to Oklahoma. “The total value of the donation from this area was probably around $10,000” she said.

The disaster funds donated were used to purchase $5,000 in gift cards and the rest was given in rolls of quarters (for laundry) and other supplies.

The women’s contact was First Baptist Church of Moore, Okla. which served as a shelter in place and has been continuing to minister to the area. Situated nearby was the Red Cross and Oklahoma Disaster Team headquarters. “We were astounded to hear that they prepare and deliver 10,000 lunches daily” said Stanley, “probably twice that amount at dinner or supper time.”

“At the site where the tornado touched down there was complete devastation for blocks and blocks. It looked like someone had dropped a bomb and leveled everything in the area. It brought tears to my eyes,” said Stanley.

The women visited a Mexican restaurant blocks away from where the tornado hit and asked if their waitress had been at work that day. She told them that she had, it was very scary and that she had less than 20 minutes to prepare.

One of the most endearing reports shared by Stanley was from a father who rushed to the school to get his son. When he saw his dad, the boy said, “I didn’t think you’d ever get here.”

Stanley stressed again her pride at belonging to a community that was willing to give and recalled a Bible verse that she thought suited the occasion: Jesus said, “When you have done it to the least of these, then you have done it to me.”