Tornadoes Swept Through Several Southern States Leaving Behind Severe Damage

DECEMBER 15, 2022  Blue Ash, OH – Matthew 25: Ministries, a humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization headquartered in Blue Ash, OH is responding to the destructive storms sweeping across the southern United States. Severe weather, including multiple tornadoes, began impacting the region on Tuesday, December 13, leaving residents trapped in collapsed homes and causing extensive damage to hospitals and businesses. The multi-state storm system is expected to continue bringing tornadoes, heavy rainfall, hail and flash flooding throughout the week.

Matthew 25 will be shipping an initial two truckloads of relief aid to the disaster region to help meet immediate needs of impacted residents. After a disaster, access to life-saving and life-sustaining supplies is often limited or nonexistent and sanitary conditions in the disaster area can deteriorate quickly. Matthew 25: Ministries provides critical rapid response necessities to support initial critical relief efforts.  Matthew 25 will continue to conduct damage assessments and communicate with partners in the affected areas to evaluate how they can best serve the ongoing needs of the disaster region.

Matthew 25 is requesting donations of the following types of items to supplement existing supplies, for restocking during their response and for future disasters:

• Product donations: The following product donations will be accepted at Matthew 25’s facility located at 11083 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242:
  • Cases of bottled water (12- and 24- count)
  • Personal care products: Antibacterial soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, lotion, etc.
  • Cleaning supplies: Laundry detergents, general cleaner, sponges, bleach (powdered form is preferred), mops, scrub brushes, buckets, rubber gloves, etc.
  • Paper products: Toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
  • Baby and infant supplies: Diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, baby wash, baby shampoo, baby lotion, etc.
  • First-aid items: Bandages, gauze, pads, first aid tape, antiseptic creams, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, latex gloves, instant cold packs, etc.
  • New and in original packaging: Power tools, fans, generators, etc.
• Monetary donations: Donate online or mail checks to Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242 (100% of donated funds designated for Southern Tornadoes will be used for the purpose intended).

Matthew 25 responds to disasters domestically and internationally and provides both rapid response and long-term support to areas impacted by disaster. In 2022, Matthew 25 has responded to disasters including Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Fiona, flooding in Pakistan, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and is continuing to provide long-term disaster recovery to several 2021 disasters. So far in 2022, Matthew 25: Ministries has shipped more than 1,100 truckloads of aid (approximately 25 million pounds) worldwide and helped approximately 28.5 million people.

For the most current information on Matthew 25: Ministries’ activities, please visit their website https://m25m.org/disaster/sotornadoes22/ or follow Matthew 25 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/m25m.org, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/m25m_org/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/M25M_org. For more in-depth information about Matthew 25: Ministries’ humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts, please contact Michelle Jones mjones@m25m.org.

Matthew 25: Ministries accepts cash, check, credit card and online donations for ongoing humanitarian aid and disaster relief programs, as well as product donation support. Matthew 25 also welcomes volunteers six days a week at their Blue Ash facility.

ABOUT MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses approximately 15,000,000 pounds of products each year and redistributes them to the poorest of the poor and disaster victims. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 20,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world.  Matthew 25 is ranked on Forbes’ 2021 list of the Largest U.S. Charities. Matthew 25 is also highly ranked among more than 3,700 four-star charities on Charity Navigator. Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the “Wise Giving Alliance Standards.” For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Michelle Jones mjones@m25m.org at Matthew 25: Ministries (513) 793-6256, or visit https://m25m.org/.