CARTHAGE, Mo. —
National Disaster Photo Rescue is launching a new website today on which the Lost Photos of Joplin project will be housed.
The new, permanent site is NationalDisasterPhotoRescue.net, and includes a link to Facebook: Lost Photos of Joplin.
According to Thad Beeler, who is both a minister at the First Baptist Church in Carthage, where the Lost Photos of Joplin project is based, and the director of National Disaster Photo Rescue, the site will be able to house new projects from future disasters as needed.
Each will be identified and have its own link from the home page, Beeler said.
People may search for photos and documents through the new site. Those who want to claim photos may do so by completing the claim form on the new site. Potential volunteers also may sign up on this site. Churches and civic organizations that want to volunteer for future disasters in the Midwest may do so.
More than 35,000 photos have been part of the Lost Photos of Joplin project to date. More than 13,200 photos had been returned as of Monday, having been claimed by more than 250 families in the Joplin area who lost the photos in the 2011 tornado.
“From its inception and now its new permanent Web home, National Disaster Photo Rescue is committed to returning lost memories to their owners,” Beeler said.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
New website to help in returning disaster-lost photos to their owners
- 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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