NEW YORK, May 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the devastating tornado outbreak that hit the southern Oklahoma City Area on May 19 and May 20, All Hands Volunteers has launched Project Moore.
An EF4 tornado struck a rural area in the town of Shawnee, OK on May 19, followed by a massive EF5 tornado that ripped through the area of Moore, OK on May 20. Twenty-six people were killed, including 10 children.
Originating in Newcastle, OK, the EF5 tornado struck Moore, cutting a swath of damage approximately 2 miles wide and almost 20 miles long. With winds close to 200 mph, the tornado leveled almost everything in its path, impacting an estimated 10,000 people and damaging approximately 2,400 homes. Considered to be one of the worst tornadoes in 20 years, it is the deadliest since the tornado in Joplin, MO in 2011.
Within hours, President Obama had signed a Major Disaster Declaration for parts of Oklahoma making federal funding available to individuals affected.
The All Hands Assessment Team was on the ground on Thursday, May 23. Initial efforts were focused on assessing the impact to residential structures, evaluating the most effective way to engage volunteers in the recovery, and coordinating with local community officials and national partner organizations.
Part of All Hands' approach is to match need to volunteer relief efforts. With a volunteer-powered response strategy in place, All Hands has volunteers throughout the impacted area, working to assist homeowners in salvaging possessions and clearing massive debris fields.
"With the launch of every All Hands project comes a commitment to assisting survivors in taking the first step toward recovery by harnessing the power of volunteers. Project Moore, our response to the devastating EF5 tornado that tore across the greater Oklahoma City area seven days ago, will be no different. In the weeks to come, our volunteers will work to clear the destruction left behind. They will get dirty, sweaty, and certainly exhausted. But more importantly, they will be humbled, not by the difficulty of the work, but by the resiliency of the survivors they assist." Said Travis Gibson, Director of U.S. Operations and Head of the Assessment Team.
All Hands is working in coordination with recovery partners AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, NECHAMA, United Way, and others, and in conjunction with local and state agencies, to support the Moore, OK response and recovery effort.
HOMEOWNERS
If you are a homeowner and need assistance, call the AHV Homeowner Hotline at 405-432-4493.
VOLUNTEERS
If you would like to volunteer with Project Moore, visit www.hands.org/volunteer or call the Volunteer Hotline at 405-432-4505.
OTHER SUPPORT
If you would like to help those in need in Moore and the surrounding areas by making a contribution, visit www.hands.org/donate, or text RESPOND to 80088 to make a $10 donation to All Hands' disaster response efforts in Moore, OK. Contributions will go towards tools and equipment, fuel, transportation and other operational support for this disaster response.
For more information on All Hands' response to the tornadoes in Oklahoma, visit http://hands.org/projects/projectmoore/.
About All Hands Volunteers – All Hands Volunteers is a US-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a Charity Navigator 4-star rating. We provide hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world, with maximum impact and minimum bureaucracy. By supporting volunteers with housing, meals, tools, and organized work, we are able to provide free and effective response services to communities in need. Our programs are directed by the needs of each community in which we work, ensuring a timely, relevant, and culturally sensitive response. For more information, including a list of past and present projects go to www.hands.org.