Judy Parker watches as her daughter-in-law Cheryl Parker digs through the remnants of their home after a devastating tornado hit Joplin, Missouri May 24, 2011. Photo: REUTERS/Eric Thayer courtesy www.alertnet.org
A tornado destroyed a third of their town. But the people of the Central States CROP Hunger Walk, in Joplin, Missouri are forging ahead with their annual walk for this fall.
“Two weeks after the tornado, our church held a pie and ice cream social for a local literacy organization,” Edna Lassman says. “If we can do that, we can certainly do the CROP Hunger Walk in the fall.”
The tornado that hit Joplin was the worst one of the 68 that hit the U.S. on May 23 of this year – the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950, according to the National Weather Service. At this point, at least 142 people from Joplin have been killed, and some 900 injured.
Murle and Edna Lassman were personally affected by the F-5 tornado. Their church, Peace Lutheran, was completely destroyed. Their house was so severely damaged it will need to be “taken down to the ground,” says Edna from the apartment she and Murle have now rented. “But we were able to save some of our furniture before the rains came.”
“No loss of life in our family. No serious injuries,” Murle adds. “We’re doing okay.”
“People will be affected by the tornado for many years to come,” Edna says, “but I’m just seeing a lot of good things happening. There have just been people from all over the United States willing to help. And a Methodist church on the East Coast gave our church $500 to help rebuild. It’s just been marvelous.”
The Lassmans are loyal to their church and their missions and are looking toward the future.
Kari Davidson, Associate Director of the CWS Great Plains region says it has been “a very disastrous spring in Missouri.” Not only has Joplin been devastated, but tornadoes have also hit St. Louis and Sedalia, and “flooding hit Poplar Bluff hard.”
But in Joplin, where wreckage from the epic Joplin twister still lines the streets, Davidson sees incredible commitment from people who want to make a better world. “They are very dedicated to the CROP Hunger Walk,” Davidson says. “They just have a very strong belief in the alleviation of hunger.”