St. Louis grandmother determined to keep 7 grandkids, 2 foster kids together despite tornado damage to family home
ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) - As people across St. Louis seek temporary housing in the wake of the May 16 tornado, a north St. Louis grandmother is struggling to keep her family under one roof.
Sarah Jenkins has lived in the same house in north St. Louis for 55 years, since she was 7. Over the years, it became home to her seven grandchildren, two foster children and her adult son.
“We love being together, we’ve been through a lot, and God has blessed us to come back together. And now that we’re together, this happens,” said Jenkins.
The tornado ripped the roof off of her home, leaving rainwater to pour in. She said the ceiling is now caving in, leaving extensive repairs to be done, if the home isn’t condemned.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go, my home is my home, it’s all I had,” she said. “It’s very stressful.”
She’s found a temporary place to live with her two foster children and her granddaughter. Her grandsons are staying with her son, their father, since the family cannot find a place to live large enough to hold everyone.
“As it is, we’re split into two one-bedroom places,” she said.
With shelter taken care of in the short term, Jenkins said her focus has shifted to finding enough food to feed 11 people.
“She gets up every morning and goes out to try to find us what she can,” said Dekayla Jenkins, her granddaughter. “I just don’t like to see her stressing, like, crying. I just don’t like seeing it because it makes me cry, and I just want her to be happy at all costs.”
Jenkins is unsure what city inspectors and her insurance company will decide when it comes to the future of her home.
“I think I’ve done everything I can but cry,” she said. “I used to cook a big meal that would feed everyone prior to this. Since this has happened, I’ve struggled to have the energy to cook. I haven’t cooked, and that makes me sad.”
As she works day by day to find long-term stability, Jenkins said her priority remains her family.
“They are what’s most important to me,” she said. “I don’t want them to worry about anything.”
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