'Help Columbia' Created after Devastating Tornado Rips through Southern Mississippi

Only two days before Christmas, the small southern Mississippi town of Columbia was ripped apart by a tornado, leaving five dead and at least 50 injured, but Mississippians have banded together to support their neighbors.
Members of the surrounding communities have created Help Columbia, a website for donations, as well as a Facebook page to help coordinate non-monetary donations like clothing, food and housing supplies.
Website creator Nik Ingram is partnering with local churches and community groups to help those displaced and affected by the storm. The Facebook page, while also for information about donation sites, is also filled with colorful stories about the caring volunteers around the area.
One unnamed couple on the site drove from Georgia and slept in their car on Christmas Eve. They were the first volunteers to arrive at Woodlawn on Christmas Day, only 48 hours after the tornado, and went straight to work hauling tables and sorting clothing. The couple has even used their personal vehicle to deliver care packages.
For more heartwarming stories and ways to help those in Columbia and surrounding areas, visit Help Columbia or the group’s Facebook page.
Amelia Camurati is editor-in-chief of HottyToddy.com and can be reached at amelia.camurati@hottytoddy.com.