Rebuilding St. Louis: Tornado Relief Resources & Volunteer Opportunities

Article originally posted by STLMag

As St. Louis navigates its way through the damage and destruction of Friday, May 16, local organizations and individuals have risen to the challenge. As an evolving guide to area resources, drives, and events, this post will continue to be updated as SLM receives new information. Know of a relief effort not mentioned here? Contact Emily Adams at [email protected].

Ways to help

Donate supplies here:

• Greater St. Louis and St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer are calling to the community for “much-needed supplies in advance of additional bad weather expected in the region Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20,” including tools, plywood, tarp, caulk, and wood screws. Donations can be made at the O’Fallon Park YMCA (4343 W. Florissant), The Urban League headquarters (Kingshighway and Page), and 4 the Ville (4144 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
• Donate food and supplies to Food City STL at the YMCA emergency hub (4343 W. Florissant).
• Salvation Army donations can be made here.
• Donate hot meals, fresh produce, and emergency supplies to Sikhs of MO. Follow their social media for current drop-off locations.
• Work & Leisure STL (3015 Locust) is accepting non-perishable food items, bottled water, diapers, formula, hygiene supplies, clean clothes, and laundry supplies.
• A daily donation drop-off of emergency resources can be found @theBLOCK.
• City Foundry has announced that the first of its new series of Live Art Markets will be dedicated to providing relief to affected communities. Tornado Relief Night is scheduled for May 21 from 5:30–8:30 p.m. and includes a non-perishable food drive, as well as other fundraising and volunteer opportunities.
• STL-Style is accepting donations of supplies for victims, volunteers, and first responders from 12-4 p.m. at 3159 Cherokee any day but Monday.
• Ethical Bodies and The Good-ish (2610 Cherokee) are taking donations of water, flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food, gloves, trash bags, first aid kits, masks, safety glasses, supply bags, and power banks from 12-4 p.m. on May 18.
• Brick City Yoga is collecting pet supplies following CARE STL’s urgent call for pet fosters and goods. “All donations will be delivered directly to CARE STL to support animals in need and the families who love them.”
• In exchange for a free draft beer, Rockwell Beer Company (1320 S. Vandeventer) is collecting tarps, gloves, canned goods, diapers, personal hygiene products, blankets, pillows, air mattresses, and cleaning supplies. The business is also offering free Wi-Fi to anyone affected.

Donate money here:

• Make monetary donations to The United Way STL Area Severe Storm/Tornado Relief Fund.
• Support the MADE Makerspace’s (5127 Delmar) repairs via its relief fund.
• To enforce efforts to rebuild Fountain Park’s Centennial Christian Church, give to the Centennial Community Relief Fund.
• The Urban League of Metropolitan Humanitarian Fund can be contributed to here, and volunteers can contact them at 314-337-3683.
• Visit this GoFundMe page to assist individual families and businesses directly through verified fundraisers.
• Several local activist organizations have teamed up to create the Saint Louis Tornado Relief Drive on May 18. More information can be found here.
• You can contribute to Mattingly’s Embroidery fundraiser by purchasing their “We Are Together” t-shirts here.
• Donate to Heatup/Cooldown STL to help provide utility assistance.
• The St. Louis branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation is collecting donations for mutual aid efforts in North St. Louis.
• Gladiator Consulting gathering funds to work with local nonprofits to provide prescription medicines, shelter, and supplies to those in need.
• Keyway Center for Diversion and Reentry is raising money to repair damage and continue operations at its Sharon’s House building.
• DJ Agile One is taking donations for tornado relief throughout the week at Artbar at Angad Arts Hotel (3550 Samuel Shepard).
• Rx Outreach’s relief program is offering a 90-day supply of medications to those in need. Donate to the program here.

Volunteer here:

• ForTheCultureSTL and Action St. Louis have been organizing a group volunteer effort to support food and supplies distributions. Sign up here.
• Join the Sunday Clean-Up with Lifeline Aid Group and follow their social media page for future meetups.
• St. Louis Early Childhood Tornado Response Team is organizing volunteer-led cleanup and restoration efforts to support affected child care centers.
• Collections by Joya is supplying work gloves, trash bags, and work glasses at its Webster Groves shop (46 W. Lockwood) for volunteers on their way into the city and is donating 25 percent of its sales to United Way’s campaign.
• Sign up here to be notified of other disaster-related volunteer opportunities.

Shop and dine here:

• Procure STL (3725 Foundry Way, Unit 137) is leading a donation drive and 10 percent give-back program at its City Foundry STL location. The shop is accepting dry foods, hygiene products, and cleaning products.
• ClayByTay will donate the proceeds from all St. Louis landmark mugs to tornado relief.
• On May 24, all Katie’s Pizza & Pasta locations will donate all proceeds to Catholic Charities of St. Louis, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the American Red Cross.
• Kenny’s Upstairs (3131 S. Grand) is donating 100 percent of its net profits from the Turbo Lover and Evil Fantasies cocktails this weekend to tornado relief efforts.
• All proceeds from Kaldi’s retail coffee bean sales will be donated to the United Way St. Louis’ Tornado Support Fund through May 23. Customers can also donate by rounding up at the register.

Area resources

Find shelter

The Greater St. Louis chapter of the American Red Cross (1-800-RED CROSS) has opened three shelters in the city:

• Grace United Methodist Church (6199 Waterman)
• Friendly Temple Outreach Center (6356 Dr. Martin Luther King)
• The Recreational Center (1410 S. Tucker)

Each shelter will meet immediate needs such as food, water, and basic medical assistance. The shelters do not require ID or proof of residency.

Emergency assistance

• The St. Louis Neighborhood Resource Center at Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis(1408 N. Kingshighway) offers information and storm-response resources.
• To access the United Way 211 Service for Health and Human Services, visit 211helps.org or call 211.
• For emergency non-English language support, contact Gilberto Pinela, Director of the Office of New Americans–at [email protected].
• U-Haul is offering St. Louis storm victims 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage.
• The Annie Malone Crisis Center (5355 Page) will be providing free food and supplies, as well as on-site case management services to connect families with resources.
• For downed power lines, call Ameren at 800-552-7583. For outages, use the online Outage Center or call 800-755-5000.
• Contact Spire for natural gas issues at 800-887-4173.
• For downed trees and debris, contact the Citizens’ Service Bureau.
• Visit @stlcitygov for ongoing tornado resources. Click the link in their bio for details.

Community support

• St. Louis County Libraries are open for safe space, Wi-Fi, and electronics charging stations.
• The Contemporary Art Museum is open to the public for free admission as well, with access to Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and electronics charging.
• Grab free barbecue, clothes, and perishables at Treasures Lounge in the Central West End (4517 Olive) on May 18. Donations will also be accepted.
• Contact @hipointedrivein via direct message if you or someone you know needs a meal.
• Private Chef Tese, @bonappetese, is offering free plates to anyone impacted.
• St. Louis ArtWorks, in partnership with Healing the City, is opening Sunday morning at 5959 Delmar to offer needed resources, and World Central Kitchen will distribute 500 lunches at noon.
• Baked & Boiled (1801 S. 9th) in Soulard is offering take-what-you-need until they sell out on May 18.
• The RFC (4220 Gannett) is offering free six month memberships to small businesses that have lost their office or workspace. The lifestyle and business center will provide space to as many businesses as they can accommodate. If the volume of applicant exceeds available space, The RFC will prioritize based on need.
• For those who need a work space, TechArtista is offering free day passes all week at Downtown and University City locations.
• During May and June, Suite Soul will be offering free 30-minute therapy sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays to anyone impacted by the storm. To schedule, call 314-252-8221 or email [email protected].