Tornado Funds for Dresden Families

Today I make a personal plea for help! My family and community of Dresden Tennessee was hit by a devastating tornado Friday night.  Dresden is located in West Tennessee, 2 hours west of Nashville.  It has a population of 3000.   It's a small rural town with mom and pop shops and a cute court square.  Everyone knows everyone and people love with all they have.  This fundraiser is not for my family but the families of the community who did not have insurance or additional financial support.  

 

Sadly, for many, all they now have is their big hearts.  On Friday night, families woke to 100 mph winds blowing off their roofs and demolishing their homes.  My mom, grandmother, brother, niece and nephew were one of those families.  They live together in a brick home in the center of town.  My mom was picked up and thrown to the back of the house.  Their puppy was sucked out of a window.  Their backyard once adorned with lush landscaping and full grown trees was scraped to nothing.  Their windows were all blown in and the roof peeled from the surface.  But my family was one of the lucky ones, too many in this small town woke to nothing.   

 

It was only a few short minutes after my mom managed to get out from underneath the fallen china cabinet that neighbors started running in.  Her home has a basement, and that night 18 people slept on her basement floor.  Those same 18 people searched four hours for the dog, who miraculously was found unharmed.  

 

Kids who once wondered what was underneath the Christmas tree now wonder if they will have a place to celebrate Christmas at all.  Almost no one has power, heat, or shelter or cell service.  The area has no hotels and the ones that are available within an hour are booked. Restaurants were leveled, the only medical clinic lost its roof.  People are scared and rightly so.

 

Dresden is not a rich community.  The per capita income for the town in 2020 was $16,286.  Almost every child in the community is on free lunch and a lot of these homes had no insurance.  Where the people of Dresden lack in financial gain, they make up for it with their strong sense of community, love of God, and willingness to give. I am asking for supplies and personal financial assistance to individual families in Dresden.  My family has insurance to supplement their needs.  This is for those that don't.   I've provided an example of what your money will go to: 

 

$100   A case of paper towels ($15), two cases of waters ($10), a $25 gift card to McDonalds, a $50 gift card to the local grocery store.  

 

$250Bedding/blankets ($50), an assortment of cleaning supplies ($25), cooler or other method to store food ($25), and a $50 gift card to Walmart, plus the above. 

 

$1000 A thousand dollars buys a family a generator and the above items. 

 

There are several ways to donate time and money and anything you offer in any way is appreciated.   I will be heading to Dresden on Tuesday and Wednesday and then back again the next week.  If any of you want to drop off items for delivery or venmo me money for supplies, I will make sure that 100 percent of what you give gets donated to the people of Dresden. I've included some pictures of my mom's home.  She was one of the lucky ones.  

 

Feel free to text or email me. 

615-887-0939

[email redacted]

Venmo: @Autumn-CollinsAndrady