OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BNc) — Hardly had the tornado dispersed, congregations in the Oklahoma City area began already to mobilize to help the victims.
The Memorial Road congregation is organizing a disaster relief effort, with a webpage of suggestions on how to help.
Dan Lovejoy noted on Twitter that he had confirmed by telephone that the “Oakcrest Church of Christ at 1111 SW 89th is OPEN for shelter if you lost power or your home.”
Jeremie Beller noted on Facebook: “The Oakcrest Church of Christ is serving as a shelter for members of the surrounding community. I just spoke with someone there and they are asking for donations of water bottles, diapers, baby formula, and blankets. If you would like to bring donations to the Wilshire church building, we will deliver them in the coming days.”
“We are concentrating on the Edmond area and will expand as opportunities arise,” Kevin Rayner, community and senior adults minister with the Edmond church, tweeted.
Another brother noted that his father was transporting people to the hospital in his pick-up truck.
Several members from the South Walker congregation live in Moore, two of whom, Bob Finley, a retired fire fighter, and Malinda Cheshier, lost their homes, Paul Goddard, dean of students at Harding Academy in Memphis, said. Paul is a native Oklahoman.
There are no reports as yet of loss of life among churches of Christ.
One person published a picture of a tornado (above) mirrored in his side mirror as he left the town of Moore.
Other efforts will be noted as news arrives to BNc.
2013-05-20 at 6:11 pm
Coordinators with the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team, based out of West Melbourne, FL are on their way to Moore, OK
2013-05-20 at 7:42 pm
I would like to see if the church of Christ Sojouners are helping.
2013-05-20 at 7:43 pm
Can you tell me if the Moore Church of Christ was hit?
2013-05-20 at 8:51 pm
Linda Rosser, I just found this from their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/moorechurchofchrist):
“To say the least, this has been a VERY stressful day! We are trying to assess how much damage has been done. Thankfully, to the best of our knowledge, ALL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR at Moore. The building is fine as well. Please keep us in your prayers, along with all those in the Moore area. As of right now, 51 have lost there life with the number expected to rise. As an educator, my heart goes out to the famlies of Briarwood Elementary, whose children died today. Please pray for us!
John D. Strain”
2013-05-20 at 9:01 pm
So thankful to hear that. You all are in our thoughts and prayers
2013-05-24 at 10:27 am
I have received word from a church member in OKC that victims are being helped. Good food for victims and active workers is fresh and free. Members of the church have been accounted for and the death toll in general is not that high. It only remains to find what needs to be done about the destruction of property. One deacon for the church lost everything and yet he was able to say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
2013-05-28 at 12:38 pm
This widow from the South Walker Church was written about in the local newspaper:
‘A safe place’
The lingering smell of a skunk that had died in her storm shelter nearly kept Malinda Cheshier from seeking safety there from Monday’s deadly tornado.
Cheshier knew the storm was coming but she thought she would just stay in her home of 33 years rather than go down into the smelly cellar. A neighbor convinced her otherwise.
The cellar probably saved her, two neighbors and two dogs.
Her house on SW 6 near Telephone Road was in a neighborhood that was flattened by the tornado.
“I don’t think it smells like a skunk anymore,” said Cheshier, who styles hair at a shop in Norman. “It smells like a safe place.”
She and her neighbors had to wait for help to get out of the cellar because the tornado had dumped heavy pieces of roof on the cellar door.
Chris Schutz, for The Oklahoman