From the smallest infant to senior adults—YOU are important, and we care about you!
At Abundant Life you will be comfortable if you dress up or come casual in your jeans. You will see both, but you will see more casual than you will see dressed up. That means if you don't have "dress up" clothes you can wear those you do have!
Abundant Life Christian Center
6863 East Newman Road
Joplin, Missouri 64801
417-624-7500
Joplin Tornado -
| On May 22, 2011, the lives of Joplin, and Joplin-area residents were forever altered. The tranquility of a late spring afternoon was broken as weather sirens shouted a warning of a tornado approaching. But for many in the community, who were going about their daily lives—the unexpected suddenness and ferocity of the storm left them little time to take cover. That tornado would turn out to be of EF-5 strength with winds in excess of 200 miles an hour. As it tore its way through Joplin, it left a path of destruction measured at 6 miles long and ¾-mile wide (with and overall path of 14 miles). While those numbers in and of themselves are staggering, the totality of what the storm left in its wake is mind-boggling: Reports state that 30% of Joplin no longer exists, and estimated 8000 homes and apartments were damaged or destroyed, along with 400 businesses and 18,000 vehicles, but most significantly, 141 people lost their lives and more than 900 people were injured. Those are the figures, but what about the reality? As survivors emerged to the sights and sounds of devastion, they not only searched the rubble for loved ones and belongings, but they also searched for hope. Through your generosity you have provided an avenue for that hope. Many of you have volunteered your time, physical labor, food, clothing, household items, and monetary donations. There is not one corner in Joplin where a person can turn without being offered water, food, clothing, or supplies; in essence, the necessitites of life. You have given these people, many of whom lost everything, a lifeline. Buat more importantly, you have given these people Jesus. His heart is compassion and you have made that compassion evident through your giving. To give you a better idea of how your donations are being used, Abundant Life Christian Center has become a hub of activity: ALCC has teamed up with Service International, a disaster relief organization that rallies volunteers across America to assist with disaster recovery. Every day, ALCC and SI are joined by area volunteers who go into the field to remove fallen trees, clean debris, and repair roofs and siding in an effort to make residences livable. The church itself has become a campus, providing a place for volunteers to sleep (approximately 150 per night), shower (six temporary showers have been built), and eat (volunteers are fed three meals a day). And then, there is our We Care Grocery Store. In existence since 2000, We Care generally provides food to 350 families per month. But since the storm, that number has grown exponentially. It is here that your donations are making a significant personal impact by helping to restore dignity to the tornado victims by giving them back their right of choice. At We Care, people are invited to come and shop according to their actual needs, rather than be given a box of items they may not be able to use. We recognize the recovery effort will be longer. By allowing people to select what they need, and thereby eliminate waste, We Care will be able to serve the community for the entirety of the process. For more information on what is being done, visit us on Facebook at Abundant Life Christian Center or go to our website: abundantlifejoplin.org. Although words are inadequate to fully express the extent of our gratitude for your donation, we say thank you for joining Abundant Life Christian Center as we help Joplin to rebuild. We will recover. We still believe. Sincerely, Pastor Larry, Judy and the ALCC Family |
