Rebuild Joplin will be the host for a 24-hour build Monday in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Volunteers can serve in one of six four-hour shifts at a Rebuild Joplin work site beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Rebuild Joplin is a nonprofit organization that constructs housing for residents displaced by the May 2011 tornado.
“We, as an organization, really value the urgency of getting people home as quickly as we can,” director Jerrod Hogan said. “Our organization exists as a result of volunteers, so we want to at least have half a dozen or more working around the clock.”
Volunteers will be spread among one to three houses in Joplin. Hogan said available tasks will depend on which site volunteers are sent to, but common work at Rebuild Joplin sites for volunteers includes painting and hanging drywall.
“Everything that we do with volunteers, you don’t have to have experience,” he said. “If somebody shows up and is willing to get their hands dirty, we’ll have some projects ready for them.”
Hogan said several openings are still available in the shift that runs from midnight to 4 a.m. Monday, but someone wanting to volunteer for any shift will not be turned away.
“We’ll expand as people show up,” he said. “We’d love to have them, and we’ll make room for them.”
To participate in the 24-hour build, one may register by calling Rebuild Joplin at 623-0065 or emailing volunteer@rebuildjoplin.org.
Those who have not registered by Monday but who still want to participate may report to the Rebuild Joplin office at Seventh Street and Illinois Avenue.
In addition to the Joplin build, a 24-hour build will also take place Monday in New Orleans for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, while a three-day disaster recovery effort will take place Saturday through Monday in New York City and Long Island, N.Y., for survivors of Superstorm Sandy.
All three efforts are supported by the St. Bernard Project, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that assists in recovery efforts for communities impacted by natural disaster. The St. Bernard Project is the parent organization of Rebuild Joplin.
The rebuilds are part of a greater effort Monday that will honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a day dedicated to service.
“He exemplified service to others,” Hogan said of the slain civil rights leader. “What better way to be a part of that and continue to push to get people home as soon as possible?”
Shift times
Volunteer work during Rebuild Joplin’s 24-hour build on Monday will take place in six shifts: midnight to 4 a.m., 4 to 8 a.m., 8 a.m. to noon, noon to 4 p.m., 4 to 8 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Rebuild Joplin’s 24-hour build part of MLK Day of Service
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
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Rebecca Williams
Two years after the tornado, Rebecca Williams remains committed to helping people around the world keep up with the progress that has been made in Joplin.
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Community Outreach Team
While it didn’t yet have a formal name, the seeds of Freeman Health System’s Community Outreach Team were planted in the hours following the tornado.
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Jewish Disaster Response Corps
“Tikkun olam” is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” and the concept — of service to others, of helping those in need — is prevalent in Judaism.
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Dorothy Maples
Dorothy Maples always felt a calling to volunteer, whether it was participating in a fundraiser or giving a hand to help someone in need.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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