Coweta, Fayette aid tornado victims

TheCitizen.com

Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 4:04pm

Submitted by Ben Nelms

Peachtree City food bank sends water to Oklahoma storm victims

The Georgia Division of Midwest Food Bank located in Peachtree City is helping the tornado victims in Oklahoma by sending bottled water.

Within two days of the tornado, Bracken Stubbs, Midwest Food Bank truck driver, picked up a semi load of bottled water in Savannah and on Memorial Day he will leave for Springfield, Mo., to drop it off with Convoy of Hope for distribution to Oklahoma.

Midwest Food Bank is all about helping the needy by giving food to 45 Fayette and area charity organizations that feed the hungry. They also partner with Salvation Army with disaster relief in times such as this.

Their Bloomington and Peoria divisions will send several semi loads of Salvation Army boxes into Oklahoma.

Ken King is the director of operations for Midwest Food Bank-Georgia Division (www.midwestfoodbank.org). Te phone number is 770-486-1103.

Other agencies and organizations from Coweta and Fayette counties also are working to help secure donations for victims of the Moore tornado.

The F5 tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb a week ago leaving death and destruction in its wake. Responding to the need of storm-stricken residents, the Newnan Police Dept. and Our Community Farmers' Market have established drop-off points to take donations.

The Newnan Police Department is asking the public to help in this time of need. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of donations for the tornado victims, said Newnan spokesperson Gina Snider.

Snider said the drop-off location will be in Newnan at the Police Municipal Building at 25 Jefferson Street off the downtown Newnan square. Police will be accepting items until June 5. For donation pickups please call Officer Chad Wood 770-254-2355 ext. 116 or 404-535-0489.

Items needed for donation include new or gently used clothing for men, women and children, diapers, baby food, bottled water and hygiene products.

Donated items from the Newnan Police Department will be delivered to Moore.

For more information on how groups can participate, call Officer Chad Wood 770-254-2355 ext. 116 or 404-535-0489.

Marianne Pizzitola of Our Community Farmers' Market said her organization is also accepting clothes and toiletries for tornado victims.

Boxed or bagged toiletries are being accepted along with new or gently used clothes that should be placed in a Ziplock bag with the gender and the size of the clothes marked on the bag.

Our Community Farmer's Market is open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesdays in Newnan at 60 East Broad Street and on Saturdays from 9 .m. until 1 p.m. in Peachtree City at MacDuff Plaza located at 2812 Ga. Highway 54 West.