On May 16, an EF3 tornado that ripped through parts of our city, causing five deaths, an estimated $1.6 billion in damages – among the highest figures for an individual tornado on record – and directly impacting many of the students we serve. Among the hardest hit were families in our partner schools in the north and west sides of the city, including Confluence Academy-Old North, Northside Community School, and several hundred in Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS), which suffered significant damage to seven of its schools.

Disaster relief may not be written into our mission, but when our students and families are in crisis, we respond. Working with our school partners at SLPS and Confluence, Little Bit opened three resource centers in June and July to help families address their immediate needs and offer support during this traumatic time. “A lot of people came through just trying to figure out each day and scratching their heads about the future,” says Little Bit’s Caleb Camp. “But they always had a smile, which speaks to their resilience.”

Camp, Little Bit College and Career Readiness Program Coordinator, asked to be involved in the operation of the centers because he too is a resident of the city. “This is my community, these are my neighbors, and I feel fortunate that my home was spared,” he says.

Over the course of 10 weeks, Camp helped set up and run resource centers at Metro High School, which subsequently moved to Vashon High School, and Confluence-Old North, along with several of his teammates. Little Bit staff also worked alongside school social workers at each site, who made outreach calls and provided case management services for families and other residents that sought help. “We didn’t turn anyone away,” says Camp, “and everyone was mostly thankful just to have someone to care.”

Early on, Camp says the most prevalent needs were cleaning supplies, food, and a place to sleep. Through funding by NISA Investment Advisors, some families were provided vouchers for hotel stays, while Little Bit added air mattresses and sleeping bags to its list of requested donations. “Everything was ruined for many of these families – their clothes, bedding, everything – so even when they found other shelter, they had nothing to bring with them. It was a relief when we could load them up with items they desperately needed.”

Much of this was made possible by the many businesses, organizations, schools, and everyday people who held tornado relief drives, shopped our Amazon list, or dropped off items at the resource centers, some showing up with whole trailers and trucks full. Local resident Lisa Gaines bought 30 new pairs of shoes and delivered them to Metro because “I’m blessed and I wanted to be a blessing to someone else,” she said. A couple from Ohio traveling to Springfield, Missouri – with no connection to St. Louis – were moved to purchase and drop off tornado relief items to our warehouse.

In July, Joaquin Buckley, St. Louis native and UFC fighter, stopped in to Metro to present a check to staff. Later that same week, Little President and CEO Miranda Walker Jones and Vice President of Development Lathon Ferguson traveled to the Jefferson City Correctional Center to accept an unexpected donation. An inmate there, whose Northside neighborhood and former school was impacted by the tornado, prompted a fundraiser among the men to support Little Bit’s efforts, noting that an organization like The Little Bit Foundation would have helped him stay focused on his education.

“We had a steady influx of donations, as well as volunteers, and it was so uplifting to see,” says Camp.

The resource centers remained open through the end of July, by which time, we had served an estimated 2,300 individuals in collaboration with SLPS, Saint Louis Public Schools Foundation, and Confluence. “I’m glad we could help out a little bit. I also know the road to recovery is going to be long,” says Camp, who heard from most families that they were planning to try and rebuild. “Many are multiple generations living in homes that have been in the family for generations; it’s extremely hard to start over.”

With students returning to school, the focus now is on ensuring they are supported where they’ve landed. SLPS has temporarily relocated students from damaged buildings to other schools or vacant properties in the district. Little Bit has worked with Assistance League and the National Council of Jewish Women to discuss and divide up coverage of essential needs at each location.

“One thing I know is we’re not going to let anyone slip through the cracks,” says Camp.

If you’d like to learn how you can help out in serving students and families this school year, send us a note to info@thelittlebitfoundation.org or contact us at 314-669-0040. We have immediate openings for volunteers to serve in our partner schools!