Among those assisting the Rebuild Joplin effort starting Monday will be Muslim and Jewish volunteers.
The volunteers will be from ICNA Relief, part of the Islamic Circle of North America; the Jewish Disaster Relief Corps; and Bridges, a Muslim-Jewish interfaith dialogue composed of New York University students.
Shahid Farooqi, outreach director for ICNA Relief USA, said the groups are joining forces in a show of unity.
ICNA volunteers most recently have been volunteering to provide relief to victims of Superstorm Sandy. The group recently was named New Yorker of the Week by New York cable channel NY1.
“Here in New York, they’ve been very active,” said ICNA publicist Gail Tweedy. “They’ve handed out thousands of blankets and heaters. They’ve provided free health care services. They’ve cut down trees. They’ve provided grief counseling.”
Farooqi said ICNA has worked with the JDRC on disaster relief projects in the past.
He said ICNA came to Joplin following the May 22, 2011, tornado in Joplin. Its volunteers slept in the Islamic Society of Joplin mosque, which was destroyed in a suspicious fire on Aug. 6, 2012. Officials with ICNA also responded to the mosque fire.
“We helped to clean up debris,” Farooqi said of the first visit. The initial post-tornado effort included Muslim volunteers from New York, Kansas, Oklahoma and St. Louis.
“When a disaster happens, we help people based on their need, regardless of their religion or skin color,” Farooqi said.
Mohammed Arif, assistant executive director for ICNA Relief, said he agreed.
“Whoever helps another human being, God will help him on the day of judgment,” Arif said. “This is inspiration to us.”
He said when the Muslim and Jewish groups have worked together on relief projects, it has been a satisfying and rewarding experience. He said world politics don’t come into play when people relate on a personal level.
“There is no animosity,” Arif said. “This demonstrates very clearly we are all Americans.”
Farooqi said the volunteers will be traveling Saturday and Sunday and begin their work on the Rebuild Joplin houses on Monday. He said he didn’t know how many volunteers there would be with each group.
Accommodations
Shahid Farooqi, outreach director for ICNA Relief USA, said the ICNA volunteers probably would stay in hotels, since the Islamic Society of Joplin mosque was destroyed.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Muslim, Jewish groups join Rebuild Joplin effort in demonstration of unity
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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Storms cause damage throughout the Four States
Four-State Area residents hunkered down twice Monday to ride out tornadoes and powerful spring storms, then went to work cleaning up. The worst damage from Monday night’s storm was being reported in Ottawa County, Okla., near Wyandotte. That followed a report of an EF-1 tornado early Monday morning near Carthage.
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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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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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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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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.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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