On Sunday, November 17th, the city of Washington, IL was struck by an EF-4 tornado. More than 1,000 homes and businesses in the area were damaged by the storm. As a result, many residents are now homeless and without basic necessities just days before the Thanksgiving holiday. Some of those affected include close friends and family of MU students. In order to show support for our fellow Tigers, the Tiger Service Corps would like to aid in relief efforts.
The Tiger Service Corps is a newly formed organization dedicated to connecting MU students with volunteer opportunities that interest them, providing accessible and useful tools to track volunteer hours, and educating students, staff, and faculty on the needs of the MU and Columbia community. Furthermore, they aim to act as a response team in times of situational inconvenience and tragedy.
In the role of an emergency response group, Tiger Service Corps would like to invite MU students, staff, and faculty in joining relief efforts by doing one of the following:
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Donate items that volunteers and residents need the most.
- Non-perishable food items (Canned goods should have pull-top lids whenever possible.)
- Bottled water
- Blankets
- Cold weather clothing (such as gloves, hats, or jackets)
- Personal hygiene products
- Work gloves
- Clean up materials (such as boxes, trash bags, and other plastic bags)
To donate, look for bins marked with the Tiger Service Corps logo at Quirks (the student run boutique on the first floor of the student center)and other locations throughout campus.
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Donate money. There are two easy ways to donate money to the relief efforts via reliable organizations.
- By phone. To donate $10 by text message through the Salvation Army, text STORM to 80888. Reply YES to confirm the donation. You may also donate to the American Red Cross by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
- Online. Visit the American Red Cross or Salvation Army online to make donations.
Further information about the item drive and Tiger Service Corps as a whole can be found on our Facebook or on Twitter.
Questions or concerns about the relief effort, or suggestions for further aiding the city of Washington, may be directed to the Tiger Service Corps Director, Javier Fernandez, at MUtscdirector@gmail.com.
Brooke Shoopman
Tiger Service Corps | Communications Coordinator