Midwest and Southern US Tornado Relief Fund 2021

Thank you for your generous donation to GlobalGiving’s Midwest US Tornado Relief Fund. Less than 10 days after dozens of tornadoes devastated the Midwest and South, our team issued emergency grants to seven vetted nonprofit partners responding to this crisis in their communities.

Here is a short description of some of the critical work you’ve supported through your generosity: 

• The United Way of Kentucky, the central hub of all 22 United Way members across Kentucky, launched its own tornado relief fund in the immediate aftermath of the tornadoes. Through the fund, the organization is quickly getting resources into the hands of local members in impacted areas while also coordinating directly with emergency management services across the state.

• The United Way of Southern Kentucky, one of the 22 local United Way members, is stepping up to serve the community in and around Bowling Green. The organization hosts the state’s 211 system, a free 24-hour referral and information helpline that connects people of all ages to essential health and human services. Since the storm, the organization has answered thousands of calls and linked community members with needed resources. 

• In response to the tornadoes, the Paducah LGBT Welcome Center (Heartland Equality) immediately launched an LGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Fund to get cash, clothing, and emergency supplies into the hands of storm survivors. To date, Heartland Equality has reached more than 400 families. 

• The Community Foundation of West Kentucky is leveraging its 25 years of experience serving communities across western Kentucky to get immediate financial assistance to those most in need through its network of local nonprofit partners. Through its relief fund, the organization is supporting critical needs like temporary housing for displaced families. Its team says, “These are our friends and our neighbors. We are fully committed to the overall well-being of the impacted communities.” 

• The Kentucky Civic Engagement Table and its allies at the Black Leadership Action Coalition of Kentucky and Hood To The Holler launched a joint relief fund that will provide emergency grants to grassroots groups responding to the storm’s impacts. Its fund prioritizes groups that serve Kentuckians who may otherwise be neglected by relief efforts, particularly Black, Indigenous, people of color, refugee, immigrant, and poor and working-class Kentuckians. Money is already on the move to help poor and working-class families afford insurance deductibles, mortgages, and rent during this crisis.

• Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland serves all tornado-impacted counties in Kentucky. The team is working around the clock to get food and water to all affected communities. One of their local food banks in Mayfield County was destroyed, but they quickly moved operations to a temporary warehouse in Paducah. Staff members are also sharing resources directly with Feeding America affiliates in other states where the tornadoes struck. The organization’s Executive Director shares more about their efforts in a video message here.

• ICNA Relief is a national organization that activates quickly after disasters. Its first responder teams have been on the ground in several impacted communities, including Eddyville, Kentucky, to clean up debris and provide mobile clinic services. 

The need remains enormous for impacted communities across the region. Within two weeks, GlobalGiving will make another round of emergency grants to our vetted nonprofit partners in Kentucky and surrounding states. In the months ahead, we will share another update as our partners’ incredible work continues. We are committed to providing ongoing support to those most affected by the tornadoes—long after the media coverage ends. And you are helping us do that.

Thank you again for supporting community-led disaster recovery.

With gratitude, 

Chase + the GlobalGiving Team