Gleaning Responds to Easter Tornadoes In Mississippi 2020
Records show 105 tornadoes struck the US just over a week ago on April 12-13, spreading from Texas to Florida, reaching through the Carolinas, and moving into Tennessee and Maryland.
An F-4 tornado hit the rural area of Moss, Mississippi at 190 mph and has been tracked as the widest storm ever recorded in the state, spreading nearly 2 miles wide, and barreling through 91 miles before dissipating. This massive twister left 212 homes in Moss totally destroyed, and 249 with severe damage.
Mossville’s Fire Department Chief, Doyle Webb explained the extent of the destruction via telephone with our staff. He said, “within a mile of where I am standing, there are 100 homes that were completely destroyed, and all that the people could salvage was being carried in a 5-gallon bucket.”
Imagine… your entire household – destroyed, and all of your belongings can now fit into a 5 gallon bucket. My heart breaks for them!
We want to help as many people as we can, and we will start by sending our first truckload of disaster relief supplies to Moss, MS. Our plan is to continue sending supplies wherever the need is, for as long as resources are available.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and regulations, Gleaning’s collection will look different this time. We will not be asking for product donations from the public at our usual location on Ward’s Road in Lynchburg, VA.
Instead, we are seeking financial donations, only, and will use those donations to purchase critically-needed items such as nonperishable foods, healthy juices, personal care items, and cleaning supplies from local businesses. We also hope we can provide some paper products for the tornado victims, if possible. Normally, multiple pallets of paper products are included in our trucks of disaster relief aid.
If you are able to donate, please click here, or mail a donation check to GFTW, PO Box 645 Concord, VA 24538. We now have a Text-To-Give option, too. To give by text, simply text the word Tornado to 1-434-208-1878 and you’ll receive a text back containing the link to our secure donation form.
I cannot say “thank you” enough, but I’ll say it again. Thank you for your ongoing support of our ministry! If you are able to donate towards this relief effort, your generosity will be a blessing to those who are facing the most devastating time of their lives. They’ve been impacted by two disasters at the same time: Covid-19 and these devastating storms.
In Service and Partnership,
