Today’s blog post is written by a group of site coordinators from Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Kan. Last month, Kansas was hit hard by a series of tornadoes. Staff and volunteers from Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County have been working to help families recover from this natural disaster.

On Tuesday, Communities In Schools of Wichita site coordinators organized a “store” of donated items, such as food and gift cards. Their hard work served approximately 100 families currently recovering from the tornadoes.

On Saturday April 14th, 2012, approximately 100 tornadoes were reported in the state of Kansas. One community that was severely affected was the Oaklawn area, located outside of Wichita. Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County is present in five of the schools there. The entire community was without gas and electricity for a week. Communities In Schools  reached out through home visits and phone calls to see what students and their families needed to make it through the difficult days following the severe weather. Communities In Schools also partnered with multiple community agencies, churches, and school districts to assist in fulfilling the needs of the families.

These families have been displaced, suffered loss of belongings or have had structural damage to their homes. Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County has set up a fund for tornado disaster relief that consists of money and donated goods such as non-perishable items, hygiene items, water and gift cards. The fund will assist with long-term and immediate needs for affected families. We have assisted in feeding families and volunteers in the disaster area, helped to provide district-wide communication and established long-term collaborations with partners. We will remain active in the efforts to provide support…it is just what we do!

Site Coordinators:

Elainne Fulenwider, Cooper Elementary
Bev Zuba, Oaklawn Elementary
Katie Savute, Derby Sixth Grade Center
Elise Matz, Derby Middle School
Gary Meitler, Derby High School

You can help Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County support families affected by the tornadoes by making a donation.