Help For Joplin

Photo from cnn.com – This is the regional Medical Center

HELP FOR JOPLIN

{UNITING TOGETHER WITH HELP, HOPE, AND LOVE}

Tonight, I am in awe and disbelief at the power of nature.  I am amazed that it can ravage the world that we live in so completely.  I have a hard time understanding or even believing the extent  of the damage this year.  We have seen tsunamis, floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes.  We have seen wars and rumors of wars.  We have seen injuries and deaths.  We have seen more than I can remember seeing in any other year of my life.  Not only has there been a lot of devastation, but there has been many instances of it all over the world.  

The Red Cross is stretched a little thin right now.  Since March 31, there have been over 20 major relief operations going, over 8,000 volunteers and staff deployed across the country - flooding, storms, tornadoes, wildfires, have all taken a toll on the available resources.

According to the Red Cross, 75% of Joplin, Missouri is virtually gone.  Buildings are reduced to rubble, people are injured and dead.  The rescue efforts are still going on in that small community.  

How do you lose 75% of a town?  How do you clean up?  How do you go on?

This morning, I was reading my emails to catch up after my own seemingly frantic weekend of driving and I came upon the news that one of my blogging friends and her family are impacted by this tragedy. 
I love to follow and read the blogs from the Bigger Picture Blogs.  There are so many thoughts there that mirror my own.  So many women that are trying their best just like me.  Thankfully, Sarah from This Heavenly Life is OK, but her city is not.  Other members of her family are not.  Some of her friends are not.  


Much of her home town is gone.
There are 116 that died, over 1000 injured and hundreds of homes that were lost due to this terrible storm and the number of deaths are expected to continue to rise as the cleanup efforts increase.  

  

This blogging community has responded with an amazing amount of speed and generosity.  

Bigger Picture Blogs will be hosting an auction to raise funds for the Salvation Army to aid in relief efforts in Joplin.


This Wednesday through Friday, May 25th through May 27th, Bigger Picture Blogs will be hosting an online auction to raise money for The Salvation Army in Joplin.

Items for the auction have been lovingly and generously donated from many, many businesses {like A Soft Landing, Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes, Shining Stones and Stoneyfield Farms, just to name a few}.

All proceeds from the auction will directly benefit relief efforts in Joplin. 
So do you want a tangible way you can help families who've lost everything, families who have suffered huge devastation and families who have lost more than a quarter of their city?  If you do, than visit and participate in the auction this week, blog about the auction, donate to the auction, and help in anyway that you can.

Use your blog or your Facebook page to post about the Help 4 Joplin auction.
In your post, be sure to state:
1. The site and dates of the auction -- Wed., May 25 through Fri., May 27.
2. A few of the businesses who have donated auction items with links {list posted here}
3. The Help 4 Joplin button.

Will you blog about this?

{Stop by Hyacynth’s blog WWW.UNDERCOVERMOTHER.NET this week and link YOUR  post for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate and a cozy from A Soft Landing.}

PLEASE spread the word.