Ways to help Joplin, Missouri
People who live in the Ozarks act more like they live in their own little state, and it tends not to matter whether you’re from Arkansas or Missouri – as long as you’re from the hills. You can watch Winter’s Bone to see how porous the Arkansas-Missouri state line, and the level of poverty that many people already live in. This tornado is going to have a severe effect on the local economy, therefore it’s critical that we help Joplin as much as we can.
Over 114 people have been found dead and the number is expected to rise. This could have just as easily been my hometown (and family) hit by the tornado. I am planning to give blood for the second time ever tomorrow, and I hope many of you will join me.
IMPORTANT: Chicago is a part of the Heart of America chapter of the American Red Cross Blood Division, which includes Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. It is highly likely your blood will be sent to Joplin (especially if you’re O-).
Tuesday, May 24, between 9 am and 2pm, CB Richard Ellis is hosting a blood drive at 100 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 1640, Chicago, IL. Almost all the slots are taken up, but click here to schedule a time during this drive.
For the complete list of Red Cross blood drives in the Chicago area, click here.
2. DONATE MONEY: Click here to donate money specifically to the Ozarks Red Cross, which serves Joplin, MO.
For more information on ways to help, please visit the Ozarks Red Cross Facebook page here.
Donating blood and donating money are the two best way to help survivors of a natural disaster. Coordinating supply donations, like blankets, food, and clothing, is very difficult to organize and takes precious time resources away from the recovery effort.
I know firsthand from people on the ground that Joplin is in DESPERATE need of blood. Since Chicago is reasonably close to Joplin, and our blood division is the same, it’s CRITICAL that as many people donate blood as possible. Please, please pass this information along to your friends, family, and co-workers.
Thanks for providing this information! It's so awful that this has happened, and something like this could just as easily happened to my family as well. They live in southern Indiana, which is also an area of economic hardship. I really hope people can pull together to help provide as much relief for Joplin as possible.
I grew up in Joplin, and although I live in Chicago now my mom still lives there. I was actually just in town for a week visiting; I left Sunday morning, about seven hours before the storm hit. My mom is fine, her house is damaged but we should be able to fix it. But almost everything I know is gone- the elementary school I attended, the church I grew up in, the hospital where my mom works. Even the store where I bought new shoes on Thursday and the place we got frozen yogurt on Friday. This whole thing feels surreal, I cannot believe AC360 and the network nightly news are broadcasting from my hometown. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting this information. This is a nightmare but it is so heartening seeing how good people are, and how much help they are willing to give. Thanks again.