Another Story on BVCC & Joplin Relief

The article below was published in The Weekly Vista on  Oct. 12, 2011

“For Pastor, the Storm was Personal.”  By Douglas Grant

For David Conrad, the EF-5 tornado that ravaged Joplin, MO., on May 22 was personal. His family lives in Seneca, MO., 18 miles south of Joplin.  So was the IHOP restaurant where Conrad worked for 5 years.  “Most of the employees (of the restaurant) are all right, but many of them lost their houses,” he said.

Conrad, associate pastor at Bella Vista Christian Church, has taken groups of volunteers from the congregation to the storm-damaged area to help wherever they can. “I was just broken for the people, “  he said of the first time he stepped foot in the middle of the storm area.  “So many had little to be hopeful for, and now they had lost everything.”

Nearly five months later, Conrad said things are not getting any better. He estimates that as many as 5,000 to 6,000 jobs were lost with the damage to or destruction of local businesses. In addition, the storm flattened an estimated 7,500 homes, according to an Oct. 2 story from the Reuters news service.

Conrad guesses that as many as 60 percent of the occupants of those houses were renters, who have either left the area looking for homes or are still in temporary situations.  And from what he is hearing, many of the owners of those rental units are not planning to rebuild.  “But, they are selling those plots,” he said.  “A church or another organization could buy them, build a house and then sell it at no profit (to a storm victim).” Conrad said he sees very little, if any, risk in that sort of plan because there are so many people looking for homes, and many of them have received insurance money for their losses.

The associate pastor has nothing but praise for the Bella Vista residents who responded immediately after the storm with donations of supplies and money. Within a few days of the disaster, two tractor-trailers were loaded and driven to distribution centers in Joplin. In addition, more than $10,000 in cash was collected.

Along with the residents—many of whom spent hours on end collecting donations at Allen’s Foods in the days following the tornado  -  were area churches, the Bella Vista Property Owners Association and the Bella Vista Business Association working hand-in-hand to pull it off.

“I believe that this community is bent on making a difference in this world,” Conrad wrote in memorandum to those who participated during that time.  “There were thousands of people who sacrificed possessions, money and time.”  “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for this community.  I cannot tell you how thankful Joplin is for this community.”

While his letter was meant to give everybody a pat on the back for a job well done, it also was to remind them that this is not even close to over. To that end, he passed along information that ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” plans to be in Joplin Oct. 19 to work on several houses.

Only skilled volunteers  -  such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, roofers, dry wall technicians, etc.  -  are needed for this project, Conrad said.

That information was confirmed by Sheri Hawkins of 2 Balance, a public relations firm in Springfield, MO., that is doing publicity work for the show. Attempts to contact the network about the project were unsuccessful. The website,  www.joinextreme.com/joplin states, “The Joplin build will be one of the largest in the history of the wildly popular program.  Led by Southwest Missouri home builder Sam Clifton, president of Millstone Custom Homes, the October Joplin project will build seven homes in seven days.

“Thousands of people in Joplin and from across the country have contacted us to donate, volunteer and support this massive effort to help rebuild Joplin,” Clifton said on the web page.  “We are so grateful to Pastor Brad Gray and the generous members of Calvary Baptist Church for their generous support so we can all get together and share in the excitement leading up to the actual build.”

Those interested in helping can register online at www.joplinextrememakeover.com  or www.joinextreme.com/joplin. Conrad said not all who sign up are chosen; a lottery is used to select volunteers. Officials report more than 50 businesses have already committed to supporting the project.  A list of these companies and links to more information can be found at www.joinextreme.com/supporters/joplinsponsors.

There also is a need for funds to help the families who will live in the seven homes. Hawkins said all the expenses for building the houses has been procured, but money is needed beyond that. People wanting to donate can do so by sending checks to HBA Charitable Foundation, care of 2 Balance, 1355 E. Bradford Parkway, Springfield, MO 65804. The foundation is a 501 ©3 charity, so donations are tax deductible, Hawkins said.

FYI:  David Conrad and Katie Gibson were selected by lottery to volunteer in Joplin on one the last days of building during the Extreme Home Makerover Project.