Organizations, Volunteers Band Together For Tornado Relief Efforts
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Many organizations and volunteers have come together to help clean up storm damage and embrace a sense of community since a deadly tornado outbreak hit North Texas on Dec. 26.
Local nonprofits have volunteers available and ready to help in relief efforts in Garland, Rowlett and Dallas County, according to the City of Garland. Organizations at the Joint Disaster Management Resource Center (located at Granger Recreation Center, 1301 W. Avenue F in Garland, open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) are offering services including debris removal (with heavy equipment on-hand), assistance placing tarps on roofs, storage for personal belongings, packing assistance and chainsaw work. Those needing clean-up help can call the Crisis Cleanup hotline at 1-800-451-1954 to sign up for free assistance.
The American Red Cross is heading into its second full week of helping those affected by the storms. The organization said it is still prioritizing sheltering people without a place to go, providing cleanup supplies and encouraging victims to meet with a Red Cross caseworker. Caseworkers are available in Garland, Glenn Heights and Farmersville or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.
As of Saturday at noon, the Red Cross has registered 411 shelter residents, served more than 9,000 meals and snacks and distributed more than 14,000 cleanup supplies in North Texas. It has also helped more than 1,000 with mental health and nursing services, the organization said.
On a more grassroots level, hundreds of volunteers turned up in Sunnyvale on Saturday to help clean up debris, and Grace Church of Ovilla welcomed members of the nearby Ovilla Road Church of the Nazarene to a Sunday service, since a tornado damaged the latter church.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
