Oklahomans Send Supplies, Volunteers To Aid In Joplin Relief

Emily Baucum, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri was so destructive, many families could not recover any personal belongings from the rubble, not even a single photograph or T-shirt.

So, Tulsa Public Schools filled a bus with supplies for Joplin students who lost everything.

"My family's from Tulsa but we used to live in Joplin so its real close in our hearts, what happened," James Berry said.

James Berry pulled out his wallet and gave from the heart, wondering what he would need if his home were destroyed.

"We did things like toiletries, toilet paper, toothpaste," he said.

Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow is filling its own truck with the staples of survival.

5/23/2011 Related Story: How To Help Joplin Residents Devastated By Sunday's Deadly Tornado

"Cases of bottled water. Pastor Kenneth Hagin said. "Cases of protein bars. Cases of pop tarts. Dried spaghetti."

Speaking of the basics, the people in Joplin don't even have boxes to put all the donations in, so the boxes are coming to them.

"It's just heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to see what they're going through," Carrie Buck, with First Christian Church, said.

These Oklahomans aren't just sending supplies, they're sending volunteers from First Christian Church in Kiefer.

"We've never seen anything like that before so it's going to be kind a wake-up call for all of us to see that," Lexy Shadowens said.

High school students will see a town that's just a two-hour's drive, but looks like a war zone half a world away.

"It's really devastating," Berry said. "Especially when they say there's no landmarks left. It's completely wiped out."

But with some help from the heartland, the Green Country volunteers know Joplin can rebuild their broken lives.