6 Ways You Can Help OK Tornado Victims

A deadly tornado wreaked havoc on Oklahoma City Monday, leaving hundreds injured and at least 24 dead.

The 2-mile wide tornado was moving at speeds of 166 to 200 mph and left a trail of destruction 22 miles long. Many neighborhoods were reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble. Homes, cars, businesses, and schools that stood in the storm’s path were destroyed in an instant. Now, emergency responders are working to assess the extent of damage caused.

“Please send us your prayers,” asked a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office in Moore, OK. You can send yours by texting HOPE to 38383. In addition to prayers and kind words, here is a list of other ways you can help.

1. Art Feeds:

The not-for-profit works to mobilize healing and development through art. Meg Bourne, founder of Art Feeds and a 2012 Do Something Awards finalist, is creating art packs for the two elementary schools that were destroyed by the tornado. That's just over 1,300 (one for each student) art packs, but her ultimate goal is to provide packs for the 5,000 children registered in elementary schools in the area.

Here are the supplies needed:

• 24 pack of crayons
• 10-12 pack colored pencils
• 10-12 pack washable markers
• 8 color watercolor palette
• Pencils
• Black and blue pens
• Erasers
• A sketchbook
• A superhero cape*

*It helped the kids in Joplin, MO feel safe and invincible in a place that was falling apart. We're hoping it'll do the same for those in Moore, OK. You can use cheap colorful fabric and a 2-3" wide ribbon to make yours!

Send your art packs to:

Art Feeds

c/o DoSomething.org

417 E. 7th Street

Joplin, MO 64801

2. Donors Choose:

They've pledged to help teachers in Moore, OK create classroom recovery projects for everything from food and furniture to therapy resources. All donations through this page will be sent directly to the teachers.

3. GOOD:

GOOD, a community for people who give a damn, is looking for people with Photoshop skills to help restore family photos that were damaged by the tornado. Click here for the details.

4. American Red Cross: 

• If you’re in the disaster area register yourself as “Safe and Well,” to let your family and friends know that you are safe. Click here to add your name to the list. You can also search for loved ones.
• Get a group of friends together and head down to your local blood bank or hospital to donate blood. Find the closest one near you by clicking here.
• Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

5. Feeding America:

The org. is mobilizing its network of over 200 food banks to deliver truckloads of water, food, and supplies to devastated areas.

• Find a food bank near you by clicking here, to see what supplies they need.

6. Salvation Army:

Response units are being organized to set up mobile kitchens that can serve meals to 2,500 people a day. 

• Text STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

Prepare your family and friends for any disaster by creating a disaster plan. Here's how. GO

Sources: New York Times, NPR, MSN, CNN, Huffington Post