Loading Linens for Tornado Victims in Joplin, MO.

Hi everyone!       

Geez ~ when we decided to go national with the linens, you know that saying, “Be careful what you ask for!”  LOL !!

So… here is where we have been rolling lately.

In the past 8 weeks, we literally started in Texas and hooked up both people and animals with linens in 7 States.

It all started with this. I received a phone call from a rescue group in Austin,TX. that was going to pass through Dallas on their way to help the tornado victims in Birmingham, AL. They showed up with a trailer and we filled it with linens and all of the dog and cat carriers that I could find, and they were on their way.

Then, I received a call from a rescue group in Oklahoma that wanted me to help a Church in Joplin, MO. We normally don’t work with people but my gosh, their town was literally wiped out!  The answer was YES !  Their lead pastor sent a 24 foot box truck.   Dr. Mark and I, loaded that truck to the gizzards. We had to go to both linen facilities in Grand Prairie and Coppell and then back to our emergency stash at the house. After 8 hours they were on their way to help all those poor folks. I heard  from a volunteer that they folded  those linens for days. Yea !! 

The very next day, I started reaching out to the animal shelters in Joplin, and various other places in Oklahoma that had been hit hard by the tornadoes. All of them told me that PetSmart Charities was in charge of all ground operations. I called PetSmart Charities and within days they agreed to send a truck to pick up AND deliver our linens to everyone that needed them. TOTAL MIRACLE … until they told me they were sending a 52 foot Semi tractor trailer. Are you kidding me ~~~~~~~ It’s just me and Dr. Mark ~~~ Hello people !!  With that said, I called our largest facility, North Texas Healthcare Laundry and they agreed for the first time in 5 1/2 years to give us more than pee pads. They committed to give us everything they had. And, they would match us man for man labor wise. So… Dr. Mark and I along with our Sanctuary Manger Dedra Shaver, and Assistant Manager Sam Fincher, headed to Grand Prairie. 

We bagged and bagged and bagged for countless hours. And then we had to drag the bags over each other into the Semi Trailer. It was bags on top of bags of linens. We cleaned them out, and then headed to Coppell to HCA N. Texas Division Laundry to pick up some more linens. At the end of the day, we loaded that truck over two thirds full , and it was on it’s way!!  Poor Dedra and Sam both went home with heat stroke. 

Linens are rolling~~~first to Joplin, MO. You can see some of our photos from that trip HERE.

then to Guthrie, OK. The Guthrie Animal Shelter had lost their entire Facility. From there they went to Piedmont, OK.  After that the semi headed  up to North and South Dakota for the flood victims. 

And then…..they still had enough linens to go on to Arizona to the Fire victims.  Can you believe it ???? 

Due to ongoing fires, we  found linen facilities in Phoenix, and have worked the Arizona Humane Society to get 2 more truckloads out to many more folks and animals throughout all of Arizona. This will remain an ongoing process !

Two weeks ago, we received a call from a linen facility in Botavia, New York who had lots of linens to donate. I found a  pit bull rescue and they went to the facility and loaded another 24′ box truck full of linens, and spread them throughout the entire region!

WOW is all I can say is, so ~~~~like I said….be careful what you wish for…. Linens For Animal’s WISH CAME TRUE !!!  

Have a great week !

Lori@linensforanimals.org