Want to help tornado victims in Andover and Sedgwick County? Here’s how to do it
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Tornado cuts through Sedgwick County and Andover, Kansas
An EF-3 tornado touched down in south-central Kansas on April 29, 2022, leaving damage in its wake, but few injuries. Residents in the Wichita area, Andover and Sedgwick and Butler counties are picking up the pieces.
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Residents in the tornado-ravaged city of Andover and rural parts of southeastern Sedgwick County are working on piecing their lives back together after an EF-3 twister cut a more than 12-mile path of destruction through the area on April 29.
As they assess the damage, they’ll need help.
Many are clamoring to lend a hand.
If you’re looking to support those impacted by the tornado, here are ways to do it.
If you know of other avenues that aren’t listed here, email aleiker@wichitaeagle.com or call 316-268-6644.
Give cash
Charity organizations say cash contributions are one of the best and most efficient ways to help out in a crisis.
The United Way of the Plains is taking money donations for tornado victims at an online disaster relief fund, unitedwayplains.org/disaster-relief-fund. You can pay using a credit or debit card or with PayPal.
You can also dial 211 to give cash or offer up in-kind donations.
Text “teamwork” to 41444 to donate on a mobile device.
Or, you can mail a check to: The United Way of the Plains, 245 N. Water St. Wichita, KS 67202.
Corporations who want to give should contact United Way’s vice president of philanthropy, Anne Chandler, at achandler@unitedwayplains.org or 316-267-1321 ext. 4213.
Give money to specific individuals
GoFundMe has created a centralized hub for tornado victim donation requests. Many accounts are for individual victims or families. To see those requests and read victim stories, go to www.gofundme.com/c/act/donate-to-kansas-tornado-relief. GoFundMe says the fundraisers listed in the hub have been verified by its Trust & Safety team. New fundraisers are added as they’re vetted.
GoFundMe has a giving guarantee, which it says fully protects donors if fundraisers are deemed fraudulent.
Donate food, water and household items
Donations of bottled water, non-perishable food items and trash bags can be dropped off at the Andover Community Center, 1008 E. 13th St. in Andover. But everything else needs to go elsewhere because the center doesn’t have adequate storage space, the city said in a May 3 Facebook post.
Clothes, shoes, towels, housewares and blankets may be taken to thrift stores. The United Way of the Plains has made an agreement with Goodwill Industries to provide shopping vouchers to tornado victims, so those locations might be good drop-off points.
If you want to donate items that aren’t listed here, dial the United Way at 211 to check on need. Businesses that want to give in-kind donations should also call 211.
To donate food, contact the Kansas Food Bank at 316-265-3663 or the Andover Food Bank at 316-733-1644. They’ll ask you to describe your donation and arrange a delivery time.
The Salvation Army is accepting donations of fresh, packaged bottled water from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at its downtown Wichita location, 350 N. Market. Make cash donations online at www.salarmymokan.org.
Help the YMCA
The Greater Wichita YMCA’s branch in Andover sustained heavy damage from the tornado and is collecting money to help offset costs to temporarily hold its summer camps and child care services off site. You can donate to the Andover YMCA Tornado Relief Fund at www.ymcawichita.org/give or by texting ANDOVERSTRONG to 41444. All donations go directly to the YMCA.
Help with clean up
The city of Andover held some volunteer clean-up days already and may schedule more in the future. Check Andover’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CityofAndoverKS, for announcements on days, times and locations.
Volunteers need to be over the age of 18 unless they are accompanied by an adult. Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes.
Reunite lost items with their owners
If you’ve found keepsakes or other momentous items in the aftermath of the tornado, you can take steps to get them back to their owners. The Andover Police Department is collecting small- and medium-sized items at 909 N. Andover Road in Andover. When you arrive, call the non-emergency line at 316-733-5177 ext. 0 from the parking lot and ask for an officer to meet you. You’ll be asked to provide your name and phone number, as well as the location where you found the items. The police department will log the lost-and-found items and hold them for owners.
If you come across looted items, contact law enforcement.
Household pets separated from their owners during the tornado should be taken to Countryside Pet Clinic, 1936 N. Andover Road, when they are found.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 2:26 PM.
