Ways to Help Tornado Victims in Mississippi

Many of our readers have asked how they can help the tornado victims in Mississippi. Here is what we’ve found:
– The American Red Cross in Mississippi set up a shelter at the BancorpSouth Arena, located at 375 East Main Street in Tupelo, following the tornadoes. To volunteer or donate to the Red Cross, visit their website at www.redcross.org/mississippi.
– The Red Cross is taking donations at the BancorpSouth Arena. They need:

• Bottled water
• Diapers
• Blankets
• Tarps

– If you would like to volunteer, you can receive assignments by contacting the United Way of Northeast Mississippi at 662-841-9133 or visit https://www.unitedwaynems.org/tornado-relief-volunteer-registration. They are working with the Emergency Operations Center as the official organization to coordinate relief efforts in Tupelo.
– KZ103’s office on Cliff Gookin Blvd. in Tupelo is a drop-off point for the Salvation Army. They need:

• Bottled water and Gatorade
• Nabs (peanut butter crackers)
• Loaves of bread
• Peanut butter
• Individual serving bags of chips

– Many in Tupelo are in need of chainsaws and operators at this time to help clear debris. If you have a chainshaw and some time, please head to Tupelo to lend a hand.
– First Baptist Church Louisville, located at 205 South Church Avenue in Louisville, Miss., is serving a shelter for those affected in that area.
– The Sigma Pi Fraternity at Ole Miss is collecting relief supplies for Tupelo’s tornado victims in front of the Ole Miss Student Union from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. thru this Friday. Fraternity members are taking a load to Tupelo on Saturday morning. There will be members are on site all day through Friday to help with the collection efforts.
Specifically, the Fraternity is looking for:

• Basics (any necessity you may use on a daily basis)
• Toiletries
• Bottled Water
• Usable, clean clothing

– The CREATE Foundation is currently accepting donations to assist with tornado relief and can accept donations online or by phone (662) 844-8989 or mail P.O. Box 1053, Tupelo, MS 38802.  The CREATE Foundation will match donations up to a total of $25,000.
– Anyone wishing to donate help to the citizens of Tupelo, Miss. can drop off clothing of any kind, non-perishable foods, bottle water, etc. at Advance America, next door to Papa Johns and Pro Nails at 1514 Jackson Ave. West in Oxford. For more Information stop by or call 662-234-1823
– Participate in the Pray for Tupelo T-Shirt Fundraiser! All profits go toward restoring local schools and small businesses.
IMPORTANT: If you do not absolutely have to be in an area of Tupelo damaged by yesterday’s tornado, please do not go there. The traffic is interfering with the first responders.
HottyToddy.com will update this post as more information becomes available. If you know of ways people can donate time and/or money to clean up and recovery in any of the areas affected, not just Tupelo, please email managing editor Kate Wallace at kate.sinervo@hottytoddy.com.