STORM UPDATE: How you can help

Headline: How you can help
Patrick Richardson, Columbus (Kan.) Advocate Managing Editor

People who wish to assist in the recovery efforts in Joplin, Mo., have several options according to Red Cross Volunteer Donna Culver.

"Right now they have an abundance of volunteers except medically trained people," she said. "If you're medically trained and want to help go to showmemeresponse.org.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said on CNN people who wish to donate money to the Red Cross can do so from a link on the state website www.mo.gov.

Culver said there were several other options as well.

She said anyone who has personal items or cleanup supplies such as gloves or may have blankets can contact their local church or churches in Joplin. She stressed people should not give away clothes at this point.

She said people with heavy equipment can contact the Missouri Department of Transportation at (888) 275-6636.

She said those who are Red Cross trained can contact the Joplin Red Cross at (417) 624-4411.

June Newman with the Southeast Kansas Baptist Association said Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has been activated but is not being allowed in to Joplin yet. She said they've been asked to wait until the search and rescue efforts are finished and all the natural gas leaks have contained, but the area team will be going in and teams from the Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Southern Baptists will likely be arriving as well.
Donation stations have been set up in the basement of the Cherokee County Courthouse and the Columbus Dollar General store.