Food Bank Needs a Flood of Donations to Support Tornado Victims

I have been grappling with how to process and adequately express my feelings about the spate of tornadoes that hit North Carolina a couple weeks ago and those that ravaged more of the South just yesterday. My family was fortunately out of town when the twister hit Raleigh, and our neighborhood was spare, not even a branch in our yard.

However, fewer than two miles away, homes and lives were shattered. We drove around a week after the storm and were jaws agape in awe of the twisted tree roots knotted in a macabre tango with steel beams and pipes. Debris cluttered many areas of the city, blocking sidewalks, driveways, and thoroughfares. Houses sat with trees perilously perched atop roofs only half covered in shingles. Brick chimneys crumbled. Cars were upturned. Porches flattened. Windows shuttered up with plywood, emitting the tell tale signs of of building condemned. And everywhere there were people, sleeves rolled up, work gloves on, working in unison, and oddly enough, in silence. The scenes playing out block after block reminded of a line from a book we used to read to Bird: Hands are made for helping. It was a case of neighbor helping neighbor, stranger helping stranger.

In a cruel twist of fate, the tornado bypassed the tall cotton neighborhoods in Raleigh and spit its wrath on some of our city’s poorest communities. I certainly don’t wish tornado damage on anyone, rich or otherwise, but the people affected are the least likely to be able to lift themselves up alone. Things that we take for granted like adequate insurance coverage, health care coverage, savings, discretionary income, and maybe even a second home to rest our heads, are not reality for the many people who found themselves on the street. Driving through Raleigh to see the damage left us feeling overwhelmed, discouraged,  and most of all, sad. So very sad. For a community that already lives in a difficult station in life, and for the children who didn’t choose their paths, the destruction leaves their lives in ruins, not just their homes.

Here’s the thing, the news reports and media soundbites aren’t just faceless stats and stories. These are real people. People I know. Two children in my friend’s elementary school were killed in the tornado. A local middle school teacher lost her house and the family’s puppy. Her sister lost everything too, who just happened to be her next door neighbor. These families are starting from scratch on everything. If you would like to make a donation, friends have set up an account for them at Wachovia Bank.  All you need to do is go to any Wachovia branch and tell them you would like to make a deposit under the following name: Jennifer Zezza for the benefit of Rechenberg Family Fund.

On a broader scale, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina has literally been working around the clock to provide people with food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to help them feed and keep their families safe. I imagine the same turbo blasted adrenaline push is happening in Alabama and all over the South.

The most needed items for disaster relief are:
· High-protein canned meals with pop-top cans (ravioli, soups, spaghetti)
· Paper goods and products (paper towels, paper plates/cups/napkins, plastic utensils)
· Diapers and wipes
· Hygiene products (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, etc.)
· Other single serving meals that do not require refrigeration or cooking/meals ready to eat
· Single serving snacks such as raisins & granola bars
· Peanut Butter
· Cleaning supplies and disinfectant wipes

Coupled with an already teetering economy, the Food Bank expects to see the need for emergency food to increase over the coming weeks as displaced families seek help.  Food & fund donations to the Food Bank will help provide emergency and increased assistance to Food Bank partner agencies.

• Donate Food: Food donations will be accepted at Food Bank warehouses in Durham, Raleigh, New Bern, Greenville, Southern Pines, and Wilmington. Check your local foodbank to make a donation in your community.
  
• Donate Funds: Donate on the Food Bank website. Text a $10 donation by sending “40meals” to 50555. So easy! If you roll old school, mail checks to 3808 Tarheel Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609.

The next time you stock up on groceries or pop in to grab a last minute dinner ingredient, fill a bag for your local food bank. In a time of crisis, there are no strangers.