Donation drive brings in thousands for local childcare, teachers say need is growing
Families lost everything from homes to strollers, and it’s only now they’re realizing what they need beyond food and shelter
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Thousands of dollars and necessary items poured into City Foundry on Wednesday night, as an effort to get basic needs to the folks who need these items the most.
Today, crews visited the event site to pick up tampons, water, food, Ramen noodles, cleaning wipes, diapers and other essential items and distribute them across the tornado zone.
Local volunteers told First Alert 4 that families were impacted heavily by the tornado, losing strollers, car seats, baby carriers and simple things like glasses and chargers.
They hope that some of the items collected can help.
At the “Tornado Relief Night” at City Foundry, organizers said they were able to raise more than $13,000 just from the raffle hosted last night. They estimate that at least 3,500 people came to help raise money, volunteer, or drop off needed supplies.
“The St. Louis Early Childhood Tornado Response Team had already sent around eight carloads to Baden Christian Child Care Center before the event began, and by the time the event started, the collection tent was already full again,” organizers wrote in a recap.
The money raised will be split evenly between several local groups ing some of the hardest hit parts of St. Louis. Those organizations are St. Louis Early Childhood Tornado Response Team, ForTheCultureSTL, Love The Lou, MADE Makerspace and Craft Alliance.
While the numbers are still being crunched, the organizers believe that at least $15,000 was raised for the five nonprofits by artists and tenants fundraiser events at City Foundry.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Volunteers are needed at City Foundry Thursday between 4-7 p.m. to sort through the many donated items and get them ready to be distributed to ECE Hubs, where they will be donated directly to child care centers and the families they serve. Other shifts are available today through Saturday. Volunteers should sign up here: https://www.genius.com/go/10C054EA9A928A6FFC43-57020334-early#/
If you’d like to donate specifically to the Gateway Early Childhood Alliance Fund, you can click here, to visit the St. Louis Community Foundation website.
City Foundry’s Live Art Market continues next week, and every Wednesday through June 25. City Foundry is considering ways to keep ing tornado relief through their Live Art Market series, and they welcome ideas from the community.
Avery Martinezcovers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also aReport for America Corps member, as well as a member of theMississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage ranges from EPA s to corn farms and hunting concerns, and local water rates to rancher mental health.
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