The recent spate of hurricanes has brought many local community members and organizations to step to the forefront and attempt to aid the victims of the devastation.
Although these mentioned below are assisting, this is by no means a comprehensive list of those who have been helping. It is a few of the organizations and their efforts.
A Community Walk, hosted by the California United Church of Christ, took place Oct. 1 at Proctor Park with about 40 people participating. The event, held in place of the CROP Walk usually held about the same time, began at the Lions Club Shelter House.
The participants had a nice day to walk around the park's walking trails, eat and enjoying fellowship with each other. According to Cinda Scheidt, Lt. Rachel White from The Salvation Army in Jefferson City, started off the event by telling participants about The Salvation Army Worldwide and what they do locally in Jefferson City.
The California Community came together for the Benefit Walk for The Salvation Army, raising $15,263.09.
The members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, California, are collecting funds to support The Salvation Army, with the Sunday school classes bringing in supplies to be sent to the affected communities and people.
The hurricane relief effort of Main Street Baptist Church, California, is to a specific congregation in the storm affected area, which the church has been working with for the last three years.
CityView Church, Alvin, Texas, has been a strong supporter of Kidz Harbor, which provides for abused and abandoned children of Texas. Because of Hurricane Harvey, about 50 children were evacuated and housing had to be found for them.
Kari Less reported that the local church members, residents and businesses donated enough to fill a 24-foot trailer. It was delivered to the affected area about two weeks ago.
Included was new clothing from several sources, 50 pairs of new shoes from Midwest Factory Outlet, diapers, contractor donations including construction materials, toothbrushes from a dental outlet in Jefferson City, masks for protection from drywall dust and mold, and mosquito nets and mosquito repellent - both of which are in short supply in the area.
The CityView Church sent a message: "Thanks to Main St. Baptist Church in California, MO for their huge generosity to our community, thanks HOPE Clinic."
Casey Malley, youth minister of California First Baptist Church, went with the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief organization, a part of the Missouri Southern Baptist Convention.
The group from California First Baptist and Concord Baptist of Jefferson City went to Texas City, Texas, to work with disaster relief workers and disaster victims in the area. Joe Banderman, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief Allegiance Coordinator and acting Out-of-State Director, led the effort.
The group did logistics and support. That included preparing and serving meals and doing "mud-out" work, which is going in and removing water-damaged drywall. In the nine days they were in Texas, Banderman said the group served 154,515 meals for the Red Cross and did 212 "mud-out" jobs.
He mentioned that the Southern Baptists have an agreement with the Red Cross in which they serve most of the meals. He said that the Southern Baptists in Texas had served one million meals for disaster relief volunteers and victims as of Sept. 27.
As out-of-state director, he was a "white hat" working with other volunteers. The Southern Baptist disaster relief workers west of the Mississippi River are helping in Texas and those east of the Mississippi are helping in Florida.
"If you look at it all together," Banderman said, "it looks overwhelming."
He said the answer is for people to look at the small picture and do what they can, that way, the job gets done.
"It's encouraging to see this outpouring of help," he said.
And in the area, it's neighbor helping neighbor, in some cases letting neighbors live with them until their homes are livable.
The assistance isn't only with large organizations. Local day care establishments are involved.
California Kids LLC has been matched with a Texas classroom, and has contributed a large number of items. The day care has bought a laminator, laminating sheets, student-sized Dry Erase boards with erasers, and Play Dough.
The young people at California Kids have contributed nine crayon boxes with pencils and crayons in each of them, highlighters, pens, paper, pencils, glue (sticks and liquid) and markers.
The California Elementary first grade class of Kendra Hall also has worked to contribute items needed by students in the hurricane-affected areas.