Some mid-Missourians collecting for hurricane relief efforts

Some mid-Missourians are finding ways here at home to help those devastated by the hurricane in Texas.

The Stephen’s Community Center in Columbia has already donated its space to play host to a free basic-needs fundraiser every Wednesday for about a year.

The fundraiser is the brainchild of local resident Sylvia Sprinkle. She runs the Boone County Pay It Forward group on Facebook and realized last year there was a need for a space for people to drop off donations to people in need, and a place to give them away.

“I had numerous requests for school clothes,” she said. “I’m like, ‘you know, why not?'”

Earlier this summer, they started offering a bag sale to anyone who visits the shop when it’s open on Wednesdays. For $1, the shopper can fill a grocery bag to the brim with items like toys, clothes and kitchenware. For $5, they can fill a kitchen garbage bag and for $10, a full, black garbage bag.

Every month, the proceeds benefit a different charity. For the month of September, Sprinkle said the proceeds are going to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

“They’re already there, they know what the needs of the community are,” she said. “That’s where we think the money would be best spent.”

For now, organizations like United Way and Convoy of Hope, based out of Springfield, are asking anyone who feels inclined to help to donate money.

“When we go into a community, we really try to go in as lean as possible regarding staff,” said Jeff Nene, the national spokesperson for Convoy of Hope. “So far in Texas we’ve already distributed five tractor-trailer loads full of food, water and supplies to people in need.”

Nene said they’ll be sending even more resources down to Texas, and he estimated they could have volunteers there for months.

Sprinkle said she thinks now is the time to donate money, because most people don’t have anywhere to store physical donations, but said she will be collecting donations for the long-term.

“Eventually we’ll take trucks down a couple times when Catholic Charities gets set up,” she said.

Sprinkle said anyone who feels inclined to donate can give diapers, T-shirts, new underwear and hygiene products.

“They can donate it anytime, because we’ve got one storage shed and it’s all going to be for this stuff that specifically goes down there,” she said.

Sprinkle’s shop is located at 1680 County Road 276. If you’re coming west on I-70, take a right at the Millersburg exit, or a left if you’re coming from the east. Take the road for about a mile and the store is right at the stop sign near the North Callaway County Fire Protection District station.