You can help! Pine Belt gears up to aid tornado recovery efforts

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - Hundreds of people in the Mississippi Delta are beginning to rebuild their lives after Friday’s tornadoes devastated their communities.

The deadly tornadoes claimed the lives of 21 people, injured dozens and left many homeless in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties.

Individuals and organizations in the Pine Belt immediately began coordinating relief efforts, with some heading north the next day.

Jones County couple aids in tornado recovery; here’s how you can help

Recovery efforts continue, and you can help!

The following is a list of organizations accepting donations of much-needed supplies and funds:

American Red Cross of Mississippi: To donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text “TORNADO” to 90999.
Asher’s ABCs Memorial Donation Fund: Collecting backpacks and school supplies for displaced students. Donations can be dropped off at Poppa’s Original Wharf Seafood (7 Rivers Drive, Suite 50, Hattiesburg).
Forrest County Emergency Management: Donations can be dropped off at any Forrest County Volunteer Fire Stations or the Forrest County EMA office.
Forrest County Wide Barns:
- District #1, Dixie ( 11 Dixie Barn Road, 39402)
- District #2, Rawl Springs (1905 N. 31st Ave., 39401)
- District #3 Barrontown ( 695 Herrington Road, Petal 39465)
- District #4 McLaurin (308 Carter Road, 39401)
- District #5 Brooklyn ( 2169 Carnes Road, 39425)
- Central Shops (1905 N 31St. 39401)
Hattiesburg Fire Stations
Jones County Sheriff’s Department: Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Louin Volunteer Fire Department: Easter Basket donations can be dropped off at Louin City Hall or with any Louin Fire Department member.
Magnolia State Bank: Donations of bottled water can be dropped off during regular business hours Monday & Tuesday.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office: Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety: Donation sites at various locations across the state. These sites will be open Tuesday – Thursday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Salvation Army: Donations can be made through text message by texting “MSTORNADOES” to 51555 or going to www.helpsalvationarmy.org. All funds will go to aid those affected by the storms.
Southern Drip Coffee Shop at Leakesville: Donations of supplies and Easter Baskets for kids will be accepted at both the coffee shop and Greenville Christian School. Items will be delivered sometime before Easter.
Sweet Hope Baptist Church (Laurel): Donations can be dropped off until April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Trinity Baptist Church (Laurel): Donations are being taken at the church, on 35 Trinity Road in Laurel, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The church will collect for about another week before taking the supplies to North Mississippi.

The items most in need are bottled water, baby formula, diapers, non-perishable foods, pet food, personal care items and cleaning supplies. The City of Hattiesburg has a more comprehensive list of needed items on its Facebook page.

WDAM will continue to cover the recovery efforts in the Delta and keep you updated on volunteer and donation opportunities to help.

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