Grand Prairie Aid Agency Helping Tornado Victims
GRAND PRAIRIE –– Help is on the way from North Texas to several states devastated by a tornado outbreak.
Tornadoes have terrorized the South and Midwest in recent days, claiming at least 38 lives and leaving a disastrous trail of property damage in their wake.
World Vision is a humanitarian aid agency and its National Domestic Disaster Headquarters is here in North Texas.
Housed in Grand Prairie, the group packs and ships supplies like family food kits, hygiene kits, cleaning supplies and building materials to Alabama, Illinois and Indiana.
Each 53-foot trailer can help some 2,000 families.
The focus of the agency's efforts is to provide tornado survivors with as much comfort as possible, especially for the children.
"It's very exhausting for children," said Phyllis Freeman, World Vision's Domestic Disaster Director. "If their school is destroyed and they don't know where their classmates are and often school districts have to divide children and send them to different schools, kids are really impacted by that."
World Vision connects with local churches partners to distribute supplies and get the word out. Crews focus on providing relief first, then rebuilding. They can stay in devastated areas for days or several years, depending on the need.
But the devastation caused by the tornado outbreak on only the second day of the severe weather season has relief agencies like World Vision anticipating a difficult next few months.
"I think the sheer numbers is a cause for concern," said Freeman.
If you would like to donate time or money visit this site. The agency also accepts $10 text donations: Just message WV to 20222.
