|
|
|
A sign on the marquee of the devastated Joplin High School inspired a local businesswoman to get involved with tornado relief.
The sign that Lauri Lyerla spotted on a broadcast story about the May 22 tornado simply stated “HOPE.”
“I saw that and a chest of drawers and thought ‘Wow, people are donating items to those kids who lost everything, but they don’t have anything to put what people are giving them in.”
Lyerla decided to do something about it. She talked to her father, John Mills, owner of Mills Park Centre, and together they decided to donate 10 chests of drawers to children ages birth to 16 devastated by the tornado.
From there, the effort spread. Furniture suppliers donated more chests. Currently, Mills Park Centre has 40 chests and is accepting donations of clothing, makeup, toys, and hair products to fill them. Another area businesswoman, Debbie Werneke of Silhouette Imaging, put the word that inspired it all, “hope,” on the chests in different typefaces.
Donations of material items or monetary donations for the effort can be made to Mills Park Centre or, if in Joplin, at Upstairs Boutique, located at 502 S. Main.
Lyerla said two women from Sedalia drove to Neosho to donate bags of “Scentsy Buddies” to the effort.
The stuffed animals have a scent packet inside of them in one of 15 fragrances.
Lyerla said each child receiving a chest has to be nominated, and forms are available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Chestsofhope. She added that should demand become high enough, they would match businesses with children in adopting chests, where businesses would provide items to fill the chests.
“There were just so many kids affected by the tornado,” Lyerla said.
The nominating forms ask for a picture of the child as well as a 100 word or less description of that boy or girl.
A sign on the marquee of the devastated Joplin High School inspired a local businesswoman to get involved with tornado relief.
The sign that Lauri Lyerla spotted on a broadcast story about the May 22 tornado simply stated “HOPE.”
“I saw that and a chest of drawers and thought ‘Wow, people are donating items to those kids who lost everything, but they don’t have anything to put what people are giving them in.”
Lyerla decided to do something about it. She talked to her father, John Mills, owner of Mills Park Centre, and together they decided to donate 10 chests of drawers to children ages birth to 16 devastated by the tornado.
From there, the effort spread. Furniture suppliers donated more chests. Currently, Mills Park Centre has 40 chests and is accepting donations of clothing, makeup, toys, and hair products to fill them. Another area businesswoman, Debbie Werneke of Silhouette Imaging, put the word that inspired it all, “hope,” on the chests in different typefaces.
Donations of material items or monetary donations for the effort can be made to Mills Park Centre or, if in Joplin, at Upstairs Boutique, located at 502 S. Main.
Lyerla said two women from Sedalia drove to Neosho to donate bags of “Scentsy Buddies” to the effort.
The stuffed animals have a scent packet inside of them in one of 15 fragrances.
Lyerla said each child receiving a chest has to be nominated, and forms are available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Chestsofhope. She added that should demand become high enough, they would match businesses with children in adopting chests, where businesses would provide items to fill the chests.
“There were just so many kids affected by the tornado,” Lyerla said.
The nominating forms ask for a picture of the child as well as a 100 word or less description of that boy or girl.
