On Friday, May 16, an EF3 tornado touched down in Clayton, traveled though Forest Park, and swept through a wide swath of north St. Louis before continuing to Illinois. Over a 21-mile path of destruction, thousands of buildings were damaged, from homes to churches to schools. With wind speeds up to 165 mph, the tornado also caused widespread injuries and several fatalities. Trees toppled, crushing parked cars, blocking roadways and knocking down electrical wires across the area. Many area residents remain without power.
After a natural disaster such as this, there are immediate, temporary responses designed to aid a community in the short-term. Other responses are aimed at longer-term recovery and restoration.
If you are interested in supporting the St. Louis community through donations of time/talent/treasure, below are some organizations you may want to explore.
As always, due diligence to ensure legitimacy is important.
- St. Louis Public Radio is curating an updated list of organizations involved in the efforts on the ground, including the Urban League, Catholic Charities, and the Red Cross.
- The St. Louis Magazine list of recovery efforts is here, divided into categories: where to donate supplies, money and time. Several grass-roots volunteer efforts are well under way.
- United Way of Greater St. Louis has activated a Severe Storms and Tornado Relief Fund.
- St. Louis Community Foundation suggests donating to the City of St. Louis Tornado Response Fund for immediate relief efforts and long-term rebuilding.
Reminder: Gifts to nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations are generally tax deductible; contributions to personal GoFundMe campaigns and individuals are not.
The cadence of natural and humanitarian disasters is increasing. A previous post addresses the need to consider proactive disaster preparedness philanthropy.
Clients, please reach out to your Moneta advisor, along with our Chief Philanthropy Officer, for support and insights into how to engage in storm recovery efforts.
This post will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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