Friday the 13th may bring some good luck and needed assistance to victims of the recent tornado in Smithville. Members of the Delta State University Staff Council spent the afternoon loading a van and trailer with supplies to be delivered on Saturday morning. Through campus and community donations, the organization collected items to aid in the relief efforts for the town of less than 1,000 that was devastated by an EF5 tornado on April 27, suffering 16 deaths and numerous injuries. Much of the town was completely destroyed.
A Delta State Staff Council member recognized the need to help Smithville through a group on Facebook called Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa (T4T). The T4T group posted one evening that Smithville was in dire need of help and asked if anyone could get items to them immediately. Heeding the call, Dana George (Staff Council Chair) and Suzanne Simpson (Staff Council Chair-Elect) brought the organization together to form a “Necessities Drive”. The drive was advertised through several local media outlets, and the group posted messages on the T4T and Smithville, Miss. Facebook pages saying, “We are coming with items from Delta State!”. The many donations include Wal-Mart gift cards, non-perishable food items, bottled water, shelf-stable milk, pillows, blankets, clothing, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and much more. All of these items were requested from Smithville residents on their Monroe County webpage.
“I am continually awed by the hospitality and generosity of the Delta State campus and Cleveland community,” said George. “The participation in this outreach project has been tremendous, and I am so pleased that we’ve recognized an opportunity to help our fellow Mississippians.”
“The response we’ve received has been amazing”, states Simpson. “We had no idea how much involvement there would be because of the flooding around us and other charitable focuses, but the campus and community have pulled through for us and most of all for Smithville.”
The relief effort is personal for Simpson and another staff member, Matt Jones who watched the April 27 tornado tear up their hometown of Tuscaloosa, Ala. as well. Both knew their town was getting lots of attention, and, while wanting to help, their loyalty to the state of Mississippi and its residents took priority.
“Our community has simply done it again,” continued George. “With historic floods threatening, Delta State and Cleveland have acknowledged the needs of others and are reaching out to help our neighbors in Smithville.”
