Latest list of needs —
* Bottled water
* Nonperishable food (doesn’t need refrigeration)
* Baby food, diapers, baby wipes
* Powdered baby formula; any baby formula that doesn’t require refrigeration
* Clothing (sized, clean, in good condition), especially socks, underwear & men’s pants
* Toiletries, personal hygiene products, feminine hygiene products, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste
* Blankets
* Towels
* Tarps (to cover holes in roofs — and it’s expected to rain Monday and Tuesday)
* Grills, charcoal
* Boxes (to help with delivery of supplies)
* Tea, coffee, bottled and canned drinks (many parts of town don’t have safe water supplies)
* Fruit
* Sunscreen (I assume this is for the Yankee volunteers. Ya’ll, this is the DEEP South. The sun is high and it burns. Wear a cap. Put on sunscreen.)
* School supplies, copy paper, books, games, & snacks (the University of Alabama and Stillman have shut down for the spring semester, but K-12 will open this coming week; many kids are being relocated to other schools because their schools were destroyed)
The Tuscaloosa News has published some very useful articles giving relief agencies, contact numbers, and such.
Names and contact information for major coordinating agencies.
FEMA and City of Tuscaloosa contact information
Supplies needed, plans for destroyed schools
I’m guessing that the affected schools could use parents and others to volunteer to help with the transition of children to new schools. The classes will be crowded. I don’t know the process for being approved to volunteer in the school offices and classrooms, but the help will be needed. These are largely very poor schools, and the parents of the children may have lost their cars and homes. The rest will likely have to work during the week, and so the parents of the affected children won’t be able to provide enough volunteer help.
You can donate by sending a check to the University Church of Christ —
University Church of Christ
1200 Julia Tutwiler Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Mark checks “Disaster relief.” There will be no administrative costs associated with these donations. 100% will go to tornado relief.
If you want to earmark the donation for Central Church of Christ, so indicate on the check.
