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Community Corner

Palos Heights Resident Inspired To Help Victims of Joplin Tornadoes

Erin Hudun, of Palos Heights, is returning to Joplin, Mo. for the second time on August 2 and is also holding another fundraiser to help raise money for the city that was razed by a tornado in May.

When a massive tornado swept through the town of Joplin, Mo. in May, only relics of the city that had once been remained after almost every standing structure in a six-mile area was destroyed.

Among the many volunteers who were called to action to help the people of Joplin was Erin Hudon of Palos Heights.

Hudon will be making her second trip to the city on Tuesday and will be holding here second fundraiser for Joplin relief at in Palos Park on August 11.

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Hudon sat down with Patch and spoke about her upcoming trip and the devastation that the tornado left.

What encouraged you to get involved and travel to Joplin, and are you working with a larger group?

I was encouraged to get involved with the disaster in Joplin by a young child on the news who encouraged his community to donate a truck full of donations. At first I wanted to do the same thing, but with the lack of help I had, I realized it wasn’t going to be possible. So I figured maybe the best way was to just raise money and then send it to American Red Cross. Within a week or so, I raised around $800 from colleagues, family and friends.

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A few days later, I found out that a good friend of mine's father had passed away due to a tragic bicycle accident. With such an unfortunate situation, this was actually what brought me to meet Jamey Johnston. Jamey happens to be a mutual friend and attended the memorial service that was held. During the luncheon, I overheard a conversation Jamey was having with other guests at the table regarding a nine-hour drive. I had researched before how long it would be to drive to Joplin and remembered it saying 9 to 10 hours. I turned over and kindly interrupted the conversation and said 'Are you talking about Joplin, MO?' Jamey responded he was and this led us to discuss our reasons for wanting to go volunteer.

[We raised over $2,500 with Facebook] and it was stressed that the donations were being split up between the American Red Cross and Adopt a Joplin Family . . . The amount of feedback and support was very humbling. The Adopt A Joplin Family are the larger group of people who we have been working with the most lately. It’s basically families helping families.

What did you find when you arrived to the tornado-ravaged city?

The news doesn’t do justice. Go for yourself and check it out. It might not look as bad as it did two months ago, but imagine seeing six miles of what use to be a beautiful neighborhood to seeing a dumpster in your own backyard that was originally two miles away.

Imagine every single tree destroyed – literally ripped out of the ground – and what used to be your house is now placed 12 feet off the curb for the garbage men to pick up. It was so sad – brought chills to my body. I can’t imagine a school I went to for four years be completely destroyed, or a restaurant I often ate at, or local bar where all the action happened no longer available to visit. I’d be so upset.

These people are amazing for how much hope and faith they have in restoring their city. It really does help to see that other people care. All the volunteers have such big hearts.

You will be returning to Joplin on Tuesday, what will this trip entail and how much work still remains to help the city recover?

This next trip is going to be mainly to spread the word about what our group (Adopt a Joplin Family) can do for any of the victims that are still in need of supplies/additional support. And also, anyone who wishes to donate.

After you return you will be holding another fundraiser for Joplin, what are the details of this event?

Yes, since I am the only one of our group in Chicago raising money at this time, I have been trying to do my best on finding other ways to fundraiser.

Basically, Francesca’s is my favorite restaurant. I’m up there a lot and became good friends with management, one of the bartenders and other guests. So I went in there one night and spoke with Joey, the manager, and asked if I could have a benefit there and he obviously said yes, and that they’d love to help.

Thursday, Aug. 11 (all day event.) Everyone is invited, all you need to do is come and have lunch, dinner or carry out. Francesca’s will donate a portion of the profits at the end of the event to help support the cause.

In order for Francesca's to know you are there for the event and for the donation to count, guests need to bring a copy of the flyer with them. They can contact me (erin.hudon@gmail.com) or ask about it at the restaurant, the day of the event.

How will money raised at the upcoming event be used to help the residents of Joplin?

Well, since our group is just families helping families, and all of us trusting one another that what we say the money will go towards, where it says it's going to go. This on the other hand, will not be as easy to apply to the event on the 11th. Due to the likelihood of many people attending, I want everyone to feel comfortable and know their money will be used wisely.

After seeing Joplin High School “Hope High School” and the condition it was in, made me want to donate directly to the students that attend.

The reason why I have “Hope High School” in quotations is because the J, L, I, and N were torn off the school sign during the tornado. A citizen came by and added a few letters renaming it to HOPE. I will be contacting Relief Spark, an organization that assists public and charter schools in New Orleans and surrounding areas who have been assisting nearly 800 to 1,000 residents a day in Joplin since the tornado struck back in May.

We all know that the money will be put to good use, and be given directly to the families in need. I will be suggesting that gift cards be handed out so the families can go and purchase their own school clothing or supplies. The less pressure on the families having to worry about not having the money to purchase school supplies for the new year the better. I want them to be able to focus on getting their lives back on track and seeing smiles on their face rather than tears.

For more information about Relief Spark please visit their website. I’m aiming to raise at least $4,000 if I can get around 250 people to show up on August 11.

Correction: In the initial version of this article Jamey Johnston was incorrectly referred to as "she" instead of he.

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