May
22

Convoy of Hope is in Oklahoma offering help. Trucks from the Springfield based charity rolled out early Tuesday morning, loaded with relief supplies. The agency responds to disasters across the globe. Although it hurts even more when one hits close to home, the organization can respond especially fast.

Convoy of Hope staff were mentally preparing, even as the tornado hit. “We watched the storm as it was hitting, and based on those reports, we knew it was going to be pretty significant,” says Kirk Noonan, Convoy of Hope Vice President of Communications.

They actually had a crew in Oklahoma assessing the damage from an earlier storm. “So they just drove on over to Moore, and they saw it and they started phoning back in, and we realized this was going to be a major disaster and that we’d need to move into a full scale response,” says Noonan.

An important part of that response is communication, planning where to send supplies. Convoy staff work with federal, state and local agencies. Noonan says, “In a disaster situation, there’s a protocol that you have to follow, and we like to be a part of that protocol and be helping rather than hurting the community when you go down there.”

Two truck loads of non-perishable food, water, Powerade and other emergency supplies left before sunrise. Their mobile command center also headed to Moore.

“They work with partners on the ground, and we find out where we can be utilized the best to help people most efficiently. Once we get that set up, then we start sending down waves of teams that will help with distributing the food and supplies and also getting involved with some of the debris removal,” says Noonan.

Convoy of Hope staff are prepared to be in the devastated community for the long haul. “Obviously, it’s still developing, but based on the storm track, it looks like it could be a Joplin-sized response, and we’re still, 2 years later, still responding to Joplin. We’re still rebuilding homes there,” says Convoy of Hope Executive Vice President Jim Batten.

Convoy of Hope and other relief agencies have set up easy ways to donate dollars to their efforts. To donate to Convoy of Hope, text the word “Convoy” to 50-555. Or visit www.convoyofhope.org

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