(From KMOV-TV, St. Louis) – An effort is finally underway to help a dozen families in north St. Louis more than two weeks after the New Year’s Eve tornado severely damaged homes in the area.
The victims say they felt like forgotten victims of the storm.
On Monday, Mayor Francis Slay acknowledged the historical civil rights significance of one of the tornado-ravaged neighborhoods by proclaiming the day as “Lewis Place Day.”
“Some of the events that occurred here back in the 40s really led to the famous Shelley vs. Kraemer opinion, which basically outlawed restrictive covenants all across America,” he said.
Six decades later, the residents need help of another kind. While thousands of dollars in donations have poured into Sunset Hills, which was hit hard by the tornado, the North Side storm victims have felt ignored.
“We did believe that [we were ignored], and that on New Year’s Day we started making calls saying ‘why are we being ignored?’ A tornado has hit our neighborhood. We’re devastated,” says resident Pamela Talley.
Still waiting to hear if Washington will approve any federal assistance, the city is asking the United Way to be in charge of a special fund set up for the North Side tornado victims.
Blue tarps still dot the neighborhood. Fifteen buildings were condemned, and twelve families remain displaced, many without insurance.
If you want to be a part of the recovery, you can donate to the fund. All of the money will help the tornado victims, as the United Way works with agencies like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. You can call them at 211 or visit www.211missouri.org.
The victims say they felt like forgotten victims of the storm.
On Monday, Mayor Francis Slay acknowledged the historical civil rights significance of one of the tornado-ravaged neighborhoods by proclaiming the day as “Lewis Place Day.”
“Some of the events that occurred here back in the 40s really led to the famous Shelley vs. Kraemer opinion, which basically outlawed restrictive covenants all across America,” he said.
Six decades later, the residents need help of another kind. While thousands of dollars in donations have poured into Sunset Hills, which was hit hard by the tornado, the North Side storm victims have felt ignored.
“We did believe that [we were ignored], and that on New Year’s Day we started making calls saying ‘why are we being ignored?’ A tornado has hit our neighborhood. We’re devastated,” says resident Pamela Talley.
Still waiting to hear if Washington will approve any federal assistance, the city is asking the United Way to be in charge of a special fund set up for the North Side tornado victims.
Blue tarps still dot the neighborhood. Fifteen buildings were condemned, and twelve families remain displaced, many without insurance.
If you want to be a part of the recovery, you can donate to the fund. All of the money will help the tornado victims, as the United Way works with agencies like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. You can call them at 211 or visit www.211missouri.org.
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