Wednesday, November 9, 2011

To any friends of glutenfreejoplin who might be still checking with this blog I want to send a note to let you know what has been happening with our group here in Joplin.
Our city is still definitely feeling the effects of the tornado but things have improved a great deal. We are in a rebuilding phase but there is so very much to do. None of us really know what the city will look like and it is still very confusing when you go into town as there are still no street signs in the affected area. And the power is still a huge issue in the path of the tornado and they say it is very dark in there at night. I have been struggling with my health a lot lately and so don't get out much in the evenings.
We have given out a lot of gluten free food to Celiacs and gluten intolerant people in our group and in our community on behalf of the lovely, caring and generous Celiac community around the country. I have just been amazed at how many parts of the country individuals and groups and vendors have sent food from for those in need after the tornado.
Most of the people we have helped are in some kind of home now and we even have one member and her family who got one of the Extreem Home-makeover homes that was built here....very exciting! Kari, Her husband and their 4 children lost their home, cars and possessions in the tornado. So it is wonderful to see them in a home now. They are very nice people.
I don't know the stories of the people who got food from the gluten free shelves at Mission Joplin but the volunteers that work there have told me there have been families that needed the gluten free food and were very grateful for the foods provided. We have now discontinued supplying gf food at Mission Joplin as we have not had any food coming in for almost two months.
We have had gift cards to a local natural foods store to give and when they are gone that will be the end of this effort.
I am grateful to be able to help you get gf food to those in need. I ask that you continue to pray for our community as we put our city back together.
God Bless you all. Rita Greenstreet






Saturday, August 27, 2011

We are past the three month mark now since the the E-5 tornado swept away about a third of Joplin.
I am sure that I have mentioned this in so many of my posts but I must say it again. the Celiac community have been very generous to those affected by the tornado in Joplin and much gluten free food has been sent to me to distribute to the gluten intolerant in our group and in our area. But now these past few weeks the deliveries have stopped so our work is about done here I am thinking. I bought some gf food again today at one of the local health food stores for the food pantry and i have enough to do that a few more times. I think we can keep the gf shelves at Mission Joplin going a little longer. Because we are listed on RebuildJoplin.org there are Celiacs going to Mission Joplin for gluten free food and that is why we have food there in addition to what has been given from our home. We are grateful to Barbara Hicks from the Branson?Kimberling City Celiac Support Group and also Johnna Perry from Kansas City who have been such an encouragement to me and to the Celiacs in Joplin. Several of the ladies in our support group here"Southwest Missouri Celiac Support Group " have helped me in a number of ways . It has been an opportunity for me to get to know our group so much better and I am looking forward to our upcoming meeting on the 3rd Saturday of September. Good afternoon all.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Mission Joplin's gluten free shelves were almost empty today. I took 5 boxes of gf food in and a couple of really sweet volunteers helped me stock and straighten the shelves.
That is leaving some considerable gaps in the shelves here but as I said in the last entry, things seem to be gearing down. I do have some gift certificates to give as a Celiac Support Group in Denver donated $500.00 in gift certificates from Suzanne's a local health food store that carries quite a bit of gluten free food. that will be nice for folks as they can choose what they like. There is also some money left from what Bi-State Celiac Support Group Donated to Joplin Celiacs to Celiacs to buy gf food. (they have gone on hiatus for awhile and wanted to do something special with money on their budget. I will buy gf food as long as that holds out but of course with the cost of gf food that won't be to long.
There were several people that asked me to let people know by way of this blog if we were running out of food.
I must say however , the gluten free community has been so very generous and have sent food for close to three months now and we have given it to all those we have found in Joplin that have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant. We all truly appreciate all that everyone that has donated in anyway has done for the gluten free community in Joplin.
Hope you all have a good weekend.




















Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Well I am not sure if anyone is checking or reading this blog anymore as I find I am not much of a blogger. It is quite difficult to think of things to write if you do not have anyone in particular that you are writing to.
However in case anyone is trying to keep up with what is happening with the gluten free in Joplin and our Celiac Support group in particular I will put you up to date.
Our Celiac support group had suspended meeting until September and that is just around the corner. We meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 3-5 PM at Forest Park Baptist Church, on 7th and Rangeline Road in Joplin MO. That would make it September 17th this time.
The next thing I need to mention is that while donations have slowed down considerably we still have gluten free food for those that need it. We have had several people here this week and I know of a couple more that will be here this week yet. They are finding a variety of food as people who have donated have sent varied types of gluten free food. We don't have as many snack foods left, probably more mixes and pastas. many more families are getting into some more stable housing even if it is temporary housing like the FEMA modular units so they will be able to do some cooking. As I have said before it will be some time before homes are rebuilt but the process has started as much of the debris has been removed.
As far as Mission Joplin is concerned, we still have our gluten free shelves there and folks are definately using it. As a matter of fact there have been considerable gaps in the food there. I am not sure how much longer we will have enough food to keep it stocked but we will continue to take food in there as long as we have gluten free food to give.
One really nice part of this for me has been the relationships that I have made. Both with Celiacs and gluten intolerant here and the volunteers in our area that are Celiacs and have needed a little help with food and the also the wonderful people who have donated food. We have some wonderful, generous vendors who have sent food to help Joplin Celiacs and i have really enjoyed the conversations I have had with many of them. As you can see by this blog...I am not the greatest writer and my emails are often a bit slow but I have tried to keep up. thanks again for all the love that you have sent to folks in our area. It has been what has kept us going. Until next time...be well RitaG

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Facebook

To those of you who are Facebook followers, If you do a search for
Forest Park Mission Joplin
You will link to a page that tells you much of what is happening at Mission Joplin where we have one of our gluten free food pantries.  Thanks to Johnna Perry of Kansas City, we have three shelves in that location that we keep stocked with donations from those who have sent food from around the country to help Celiacs and GF Folks in Joplin.

Gluten Free Food Pantry Joplin

For those of you who are newer to this blog...I have had some inquiry's about where we are giving out the gluten free food that is sent for those affected by the tornado in Joplin. We actually have two locations. One is at the home of the leader of the Southwest Missouri Celiac Support Group Joplin. (that would be me:) )and as I am a little hesitant about putting my address on a public blog please email me at glutenfreejoplin@gmail.com
and I will give you directions.
In some cases we are taking food to people as some still don't have good transportation. (thousands of cars were destroyed in the tornado).
The other location to pick up gluten free food is at "Mission Joplin" a ministry of Forest Park Baptist Church. The church is on 7th and Rangeline and "Mission Joplin"
is a block south at 8th and Highview in Joplin. We are trying to keep their three gluten free shelveing units stocked.
The church is north of the path of the tornado and we live south of the path of the tornado so that should accommodate most folks who are in need of the gluten free food.
For those of you who are wondering what to send in the way of donations,at present we would most need snack bars and protien bars and that kind of thing as those do not need cooking.
Due to the generosity of many vendors like Bloomfield s, Domata and Better Batter we have quite a few cake, cookie and pancake mixes and although people will be using those soon...our weather here in Southwest Missouri is extremely hot ( many days of over 100 degrees this month) so many of us who have homes and ovens are not wanting to do much baking but fall is just around the corner. At least that is what I am trying to tell myself....we still have August to get through...ugg!!
Also we find that there has been a need to give easy gluten free snack things like bars, cookies, chips and nuts to volunteers who have been working long hours in the tornado area helping people clear their lots and such. Many churches and service organizations are still giving meals to volunteers but those that have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant are out of luck for that kind of thing.
I am seeing through all this that the Celiac community is a very generous people giving both donations of gf food and also giving of their time and energy to help others. I hope this clears up some things. Stay Cool! Rita G

Friday, July 15, 2011

Today's update sounds much like that of last Friday but today I did pretty much the same as last week. My husband, who lost his job as the store he worked for was totally destroyed by the tornado on May 22nd has begun a temporary job so I only have a car on certain days. There have not been many come to the house this week for gluten free food but there are a number in the community that are making use of the gluten free pantry that we have set up in Mission Joplin. I took a number of boxes of food in there today. The shelves were pretty well picked over. I spent some time rearranging the shelves and filling in all the blank spots. A very nice volunteer helped me with it.She said her sister is a Celiac and so she realizes the importance of having this food available.
I feel like I have been doing a lot of thank you's lately but I am going to thank those who have sent gluten free food to those in our city again. There are now stores in Joplin that sell gluten free food that are open again although we are still missing a Wal-Mart, a Dillons and an Aldis. (all will be rebuilding) And of course most of the people who lost their homes and jobs still do not have them restored yet. so these supplies that you have all sent are still needed.

I also took a box of food to the Lutheran pastor who is Celiac and whose church is one of the main centers for workers in the tornado ravaged area as I have been told he is working long hours and is unable to eat much of what the church is fixing as meals for workers and victims. And I also took a box of gf snack foods for the family the is gluten intolerant and is working every day at Mission Joplin.
My plan is to contact the Celiacs and gluten intolerant who we have already helped and ask them if they would like to come by again as I am assuming some may be running short by now. God bless you all and have a wonderful weekend.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday News

Was up bright and early this morning packing the car with gluten free deliveries. Took food to Mission Joplin to fill out the racks of gluten free food. They have decided to move the shelves again and they had made some new signs to notify folks that this food was for the Celiacs and gluten intolerant people who need it. I got a few cases of some nut and honey bars so will take some of those by there next week too and check out the new location. I think it will be back in the original location. We will see.
I also took a box of food to a family who are gluten intolerant and are working very hard to help the community. Then I swung by another church that is doing a great deal to help the community get through the difficult time with a box of gluten free food for their Celiac Pastor who has been working long hard hours to serve folks in Joplin that are in difficulty.
Thanks so much to all you who are sending gluten free food. We will continue to do all that we can to get it to those Celiacs and gluten intolerant folks and families that need it for as long as we have food. My how generous Celiacs and the vendors who sell these products are.
Have a wonderful weekend...It's going to get really hot in Joplin...please keep the volunteers and workers in your prayers. They continue to help even when the temps are in the high 90's.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

This will be a short post but wanted you all to know that we are still up and running (well I am still not doing too much running, but am on the mend) and we had two boxes of food delivered today. Mother Mary's Restaurant in Springfield was was taking donations for Joplin Celiac's and they delivered them today and also a nice large box from Amazon...With those there is no name included but I was told to expect a donation from a certain person and I believe that was it. Anyway people are still thinking of those here in Joplin area. I talked to Misty at Mission Joplin and I think they have decided that it would be better to put our shelves of gluten free food back out in the area we first set them up. I will take some boxes to them on Friday. Hope you all had a good Wednesday.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

So sorry dear friends to not have posted recently I am in the midst of a severe kidney infection and have been so miserable. I spent 7 hour at the Emergency room last night.. Just took my first antibiotic and hope to be back to normal in a few days. Hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July....Happy Birthday America!!

RIP JOPLIN MISSOURI MAY 22 2011 Tornado

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Good Morning!
Just to keep you a bit up to date, we have had several families who were affected by the tornado come by for gluten free food. I am really realizing the scope of how this disease runs in families. I had always hear it was about 10-15 percent of family members with Celiacs but the majority of the people that I have given out food to on behalf of the generous folks that have donated gluten free food to Joplin have a parent and at least one child and in one case three children and a parent who are Celiacs or gluten intolerant. I am wondering what is the experience of the folks who are reading this blog? Are you seeing a single person with Celiacs or are you seeing that several people in the family have it?
I have not been in to the Mission Joplin yet this week but will get food to them in the next couple of days.
A friend and I went to coffee yesterday with a couple other friends and we drove down 26th street (along the path of the tornado). The desolation is still massive of course, but you see where a tremendous amount of work has been done to clear the debris. But it is so very hard to see how they could possibly meet the deadline. Our city manager said a couple of days ago on the 1 month anniversary of the storm, that 25% of the debris had been removed. We must have it removed by August 7th. That is not much time for all this "huge" mess that just goes on and on for miles.

Friday, June 24, 2011

I also stopped at a Lutheran Church in the south end of Joplin that I had passed many times, noticing that they were doing quite a few things for the community. They are feeding people, they had truckloads of mattresses they were giving to people whose homes and possessions were demolished and they have a medical clinic with nurses and doctors to treat people who were hurt in the tornado and also those who get hurt while working in the Tornado ravished areas. They were very nice when I mentioned that we had a Celiac Support group and we had gluten free food to donate if they needed it. I had put a small box of mixed items in my car in case there was anyone there that needed it. They also all knew what I was talking about as it turns out their pastor is Celiac. He has been having a a difficult time as he is working such long hours ministering to tornado victims and cannot eat most of the food that is prepared for workers and victims. I gave them what i had with me and will take some more up there soon. They said they have had several asking for gluten free food. I was very happy to be able to get the donations to folks who are in need because of this devastating tornado.
Well this morning I set out with some boxes of a variety of gluten free food in my car to restock the gf food pantry at Mission Joplin (a ministry of forest Park Baptist Church)I was surprised to find that they had moved it to a different area. I spoke to several of the volunteers there and they are all gluten free savvy and definitely are only giving that food to those people that need gluten free. They are getting coolers in the room where our food is and so if we need to keep something cooler we would be able to store that there. I was also surprised to see that about half the food had been used. They said they have had several families who have needed gluten free. So we filled in the gaps with a variety of foods that generous people and groups had sent.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Tomorrow I am expecting two Celiac ladies to come by for food. And if i can get it all scheduled in I will make sure the gluten free shelves at the Mission Joplin are stocked. I am feeling better but still limping and walking with a cane but I know of two other churches that are doing a big work to folks in the community and I will try to get to those and see if they have had requests for gluten free food. Mike (my husband) made me some cards today so I can leave them a few of those to give to people they may come across that will need gluten free food. The FEMA trailers and modular homes are beginning to come in so I will do some phone work to investigate that avenue to reach the gluten intolerant next week.
As some of you know Mike's place of work was lost in the storm and they are not rebuilding at least right away but he will be starting a temporary job related to tornado recovery so he will have the car after next week. I will have to do more by phone. And we have a couple of our people in our Celiac support group who have offered to help if I need it. I will probably need it. For now our supplies are ok but I will put the word out on this blog if we have needs that can't be met with what we have or what is still coming in. We got some boxes of food today from the gluten intolerant support group in SE Iowa. We have had several support groups that have sent food...SanDiego, Ca, Ohio, and Alabama. Also CSA sent a box or two and CDFA sent food. So sorry if I did not mention your group I am just typing this off the top of my head and my memory is not the greatest. These of course are in addition to a number of vendors and several individuals. I should not have begun naming folks without my lists...I am going to get myself in trouble. :~ good night all

Bright Futures - Get Involved with Helping Teachers and Students

Tornado death toll now at 156 - KOAM TV 7 Joplin and Pittsburg

Tornado death toll now at 156 - KOAM TV 7 Joplin and Pittsburg

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Good afternoon! It's been awhile since I have posted.While we have given out many boxes of food on behalf of the Celiac community it has been quiet around here much of this week so far. We have contacted all the gluten intolerant people we know of and have given food to many of them. We are still convinced that there are more Gluten intolerant folks than we have been able to find. It is quite challenging to figure out how to reach the Celiacs who have no home or car or communications. It's really just about impossible. We continue to put the word out there in various places and feel that eventually all who need this food will find us or we will find them.
I do have a couple of ideas of places to contact among the groups who are serving people that I have just learned of. Will contact them this afternoon or tomorrow. I am without a car today and feel that it would be best if I went to a couple of these places...so they will wait for tomorrow.
As I have said a number of times....the situation here will not resolve in a short time. They have been making a lot of progress with clean up. But there is very long way to go.
It is probably a very good thing that things have been slow here at GF Food Pantry South :) as I have had a particularly bad few days and could barely walk yesterday.(Doing better today) Because my Celiacs was not diagnosed in a timely manner I developed several other auto immune diseases and I think the lupus has been flaring this week.Lots of pain in joints and muscles and deep exhaustion. But as I say, today things seem to be improving. I will try to keep you updated .

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

One of the ladies in our SW Mo Celiac Support Group in Joplin, Dana just did a wonderful interview on the 5:00 News on KSN about the Celiac group and all the generous and thoughtful Celiacs, gluten intolerant folks and vendors around the country that have sent gluten free food for those who need it in Joplin.
We wanted to make sure that we got the word out to the community as there may be gluten free people that still really need some of the food that others are sharing. It was a good way to both let the community know about our group and also get the word to those we may not have reached already.
Great idea Dana and you did such a good job!


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRxvNpTyBt4&sns=fb

This is a long set of pictures of the aftermath. If it depresses you too much please don't watch it. Posting it because some people are still trying to get an idea of how it is here. There is no picture that really tells the story but these give a pretty good idea.

Well, it seems that I am a pretty sorry blogger. I used to love to write my thoughts and ideas but have gotten out of practice these past few years. I usually just write them in notebooks around my home and not on the computer for who knows who to read.

A friend of Celiacs from Kentucky sent us many boxes of gluten free mixes today for the Celiacs of this city. I'm not sure if it is a good thing to mention brand names on a blog like this but when these kind vendors care enough to send their product to us we should mention them so I will tell that there are many cases of Bloomfield mixes in my dining room waiting to be put in boxes to go gluten free folks as they get some kind of housing...whether it be a FEMA trailer or a temporary home with friends or relatives or in the case of a few into a home they can buy in other parts of the city. One of our ladies said that she had just done their shopping the day before the tornado and now all that gluten free food they bought was destroyed or blown away.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Our listing in rebuildjoplin.org has already begun to help us find more of the Celiac and gluten intolerant folks in Joplin. We had a call this afternoon from a young woman who was just diagnosed with Celiac disease last month and was given a sheet of paper with her instructions. They lived in the path of the tornado, not far from the destroyed high school. Their home was destroyed too.
She is not only trying to figure out what this disease is and what a gluten free diet consists of but they have been trying to rummage through the pile of rubble that was once her home. She, her husband and their children are staying with her brother in a nearby community. She was at a loss about what to eat and I tried to give her some pointers about Celiac disease as well as a good size box of gluten free foods. She seemed interested in the Support Group too. I think she can learn a lot from the other young ladies in the group. She is searching the internet while she is at her brothers and there are so many good Celiac sites on there. I don't personally know how I would have managed if I did not have a computer in 1999 when I was first diagnosed.
Thanks to you all who have made sure that there were gluten free foods available to help at this time.
Two little Celiac boys were here with their Mom this morning and hoped for some gluten free snacks to take to the various summer activities so they would have something to eat when the other kids had their snacks. We were able to help them out now as their parents try to get back to normal living in what feels like "war torn" Joplin.

Friday, June 10, 2011

EF 5 Joplin Tornado and Aftermath May 22, 2011.mov

I went into Mission Joplin to restock the Gluten free shelves there this morning and they have moved the shelves into a room that has some air-conditioning. I think that is a good thing as we have some food items that are sensitive to the heat. Also people who do not really need gluten free food would not be taking these things. People will have to ask for the gluten free food but those working there are aware that it is there and will point gluten intolerant and Celiacs to the appropriate shelves. We are now also listed on the rebuildjoplin.org website. More later.....

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Just sadness, overwhelming sadness is the feeling you get when you go into town.
We live 12 blocks south of the path of the tornado and you would not even know there was anything out of order from our street. But this afternoon I decided to go into Price-Cutters to get some chops or something for dinner. I went in Connecticut to 26th St and turned west to the grocery store. Seems boring and innocent doesn't it? It is just devastating! Things have gotten so much better as all the main streets have been cleared and some people are finding places to live but when you get in there you realize it will be a long long time before things are anywhere near right. The path of this storm was so long and so wide. You go for block after block, mile after mile and you are still in the area where almost every home is just a pile of rubble and blocks for as far as you can see are just piles of rubble.
It is so sad to see the families out there still sorting through the piles looking for any memento or possession. I saw on the news today that a lady turned over a board and found her cat,alive, that had been buried for 16 days!
However there are still lots of groups helping people out. You see them everywhere.
One of our support group, Dana, has been working hard to get the word out there about the donations of gluten free food so we can be sure to reach everyone who is in real need. We have had an invitation to be on the 5:00 news on local TV on the 15th. Hope I don't sound like a dithering idiot!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Our Celiac Support Group, Southwest Missouri Celiac Support Group Joplin , has been meeting since last August. We had agreed to take the summer off as several have young children and are pretty busy this time of the year. But as things have turned out, we are actually seeing each other quite a bit. Many were significantly affected by the tornado and because of the generous Gluten free community and vendors we are able to get gluten free food to them.
We are so grateful to the folks that are remembered the specific struggle of the Celiacs at a time like this.
Well, I think this would be good time to take some pictures and learn to put them on this netbook and then on the blog. It is going to be a little boring with just my ramblings and not even any pictures. Hopefully in the next week or so I will get time to experiment and put some other things on the blog.
We had a new vendor contact us today and will be shipping some cases of their mixes.
I think some people are finding homes to live in after the destruction of theirs. There has been a housing boom in Joplin this week. So many are looking for homes...some will rebuild after the land is cleared but many are buying existing homes in areas outside the path of this tornado. I suppose even in such a great disaster there are positives. So some will be getting back to baking so as they try to restock their kitchens we may be able to help a little. Goodnight to all.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Sunday Evening

Right now it seems as if we are doing pretty well. The Mission Joplin pantry was refreshed yesterday afternoon. I came right home after church this morning as I have a terrible sinus infection (got some antibiotics this afternoon. It was kind of hard getting hold of my doctor as his office was blown away completely. The St John's Hospital (they have a huge tent now...it looks like "Mash" over there) contacted him and had him call me. he has been able to keep his sense of humor in all this. My pharmacist (at Sam's) told me that when Dr Knapp called in the prescription he asked if they had any log cabin kits at Sam's that he could put together and use for a temporary office.;)
We have a good selection of food here at the house but I know of three people who are coming over tomorrow. I will let you know if they leave some gaps. One of the ladies coming is the one I told Johnna about that lost her hero son ( the young manager at Pizza Hut who held the door to the freezer closed with a bungee cord so 12 lives were saved but he was finally blown away. Pam also lost her house and her possessions. She has Celiacs and had been existing on the little gummy bear fruit things that she knew was safe. I spoke to her today and she and her husband will be over here tomorrow evening. She did say that she was able to pick up a few things at Mission Joplin. She was amazed to see the gluten free croutons on the shelves there.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sorry folks about the errors in my previous post. I am still trying to figure out this blogging. I could not seem to be able to edit it after I previewed it, so I just went ahead and posted it. Did not what to write it all over again. I will learn. RG
We've been checking on the Gluten Free Food Pantry at "Mission Joplin" (otherwise known as the bus barn at Forest park Baptist Church) every day.

I've discovered three people working as volunteers there that are really familiar with gluten free. The young couple who are overseeing Mission Joplin must be gluten free and there was another young man who asked me if he could help me when I went up to the gf shelves and when i explained that I was there to check to make sure there were enough gluten free products he told me that his sister was Celiac with very serious reactions to gluten.
So i feel little better that the gluten free foods are going to those who really need them. So many folks are sending these special foods to us for the devastated Joplin Celiacs.

And my oh my,but it is so devastating when you drive through town. The church is at the other end of town from our home and so since they have cleared all the major roads I try to come home a different way each time. So very many of our landmarks are gone. Three schools are gone and at least a couple others are damaged. So very many businesses are just nowhere to be found. I think many of the larger businesses are going to rebuild but many of the smaller businesses are not . It will surely impact the make up of the city. There are so many things I could talk on about the tornado and how it is affecting the people of Joplin but this is really a gluten free blog and not a Joplin tornado blog so i will give you a break. But I must say it consumes our thoughts much of the time.
A couple of days ago a lady called and she was worried about her 72 yr old friend who had been out trying to sift through the rubble that had once been his brother and sister in laws home. He has Celiac disease and told her of the service groups and churches that are taking all kinds of foods around to people in what once were neighborhoods but of course he could not eat any of that. She had heard our announcement on the radio and wondered if we could take him some gluten free food to snack on while he was trying to recover some of his families possessions. I fixed a small box and Mike went over to try to find the address that the lady had given us. He could not find Oscar (the mans name) and he said, "Rita you just don't understand what it was like over there and it's all rubble and you can't tell one house from another."  I worried about that man and went myself the next morning. And just as it was with Mike, I could not find him. Sure hope he was able to get some gf snacks on his own. It makes me so sad to think of all this food that folks have shared and that man not being able to have some.

Well tomorrow is another day and we will do the best we can to help those who need us.

Good night all,  Rita

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Thursday Recovery

Hi to all you kind souls who care about Joplin and our Celiac/Gluten Intolerant community....displaced as we may be.
We just helped another Mom but this time she is the only one in her family that has Celiac disease. She has a husband and four children.They were right in the middle of the tornado and lost their home and two cars and all their possessions. They had a small cellar and all of them were in it as the powerful tornado destroyed everything around them. The folks in this situation have so many decisions to make. And unfortunately they must be made quickly. Temporary housing is difficult to come by right now. Did I mention that we have had 6700 houses destroyed! Kari and her husband don't want to make a too hasty decision.....Well anyway because of you generosity we are able to help her eat while she and her family stay with friends. Goodnight friends....Rita

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tuesday

Rain threatened all day but we managed to get through it without any. That is a good thing as so many are still trying to pull out cherished possessions from the heaps of rubble that was once their home.
I went to The Bridge here in the south end of Joplin, where many of the volunteer organizations are set up. At their food tent I left my name and contact information in case they had Celiac's looking for gluten free food. I was told that they did have a couple people looking yesterday. It makes me so sad to think of people who are not able to get what they need to eat. I also left my info in the main information area of the Bridge itself.
Then I went on to Forest Park Baptist Church to check on the Gluten -free Pantry we set up Sunday. I made a list of what was needed and straightened it up a bit. The Udi's Granola and the Lundberg Chips that were there seemed to have been especially popular as there was not much left. A couple workers told me that it was a wonderful idea to have the gluten free food there for those who need it.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day 2011

Memorial Day 2011 is about to wind down but it has new meaning to those of us in Southwest Missouri. Not only are we thinking of the fallen military and our families who have gone before but we are remembering the many who have died in this devastating tornado that went through Joplin just last Sunday
Those of us in the area who are gluten intolerant or have Celiac disease are greatly encouraged by the generosity of the Celiac community at large who have expressed sympathy, sadness and a desire to make sure the folks who must eat gluten free in this area have food they can eat.
Just as my family was finishing up a little Memorial Day barbecue a gluten intolerant lady named Jennifer came to my door with her three children, a son and two daughters. The girls have Celiac disease. Every day they have been going into the tornado area to see who they could help. Wonderful people have been going through the area with sandwiches and food for the rescue workers and those good souls who are trying to help in whatever way they can. Jennifer and the girls can never have the food offered because of their Celiacs. But we gave them a box to fill up and tomorrow when they are helping folks they will be armed with gluten free snacks to tide them over as they work thanks to those of you who have decided to share that no one would go without the food that they need. May you be blessed. Rita G

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sunday, May 29th update

Hello! This is Johnna, making an update with Rita sitting beside me here in Joplin. Rita is a quick learner (and all-around amazing lady) and will be taking the reigns from here.

This morning we set up an extensive gluten-free pantry at the Forest Park Baptist Church. Rita will be keeping an eye on inventory levels and replenishing as needed.

The overflow is at Rita's house. She has transformed her dining room into a food pantry, truly a gluten-free dream. Just in the last few minutes, a terrific couple from Minnesota, Ted and Dondi, arrived with a donation. The gluten-free community is so incredibly generous! Other donations have arrived, including some really yummy looking homemade cookies from Springfield, and others are scheduled to arrive this week. 
If you are interested in donating, please contact Rita at glutenfreejoplin@gmail.com. She can help you with what is needed at the moment. Thank you so much!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Welcome to Gluten Free Joplin!

Hi there!  This is Johnna from 52 Sweets.  I've started this blog in hopes the gluten-free folks in Joplin can use it to keep the rest of the world updated as to what their needs are following the May 22, 2011 tornado. 

Tomorrow I am traveling to Joplin to meet Rita, the founder of the Joplin Celiac Support Group.  We are setting up a gluten-free food pantry at the Forest Park Baptist Church.  I hope to hand over the keys to Rita so she can keep everyone updated via this blog about what specifically could be used by their community. 

Thanks to all of you who have already generously donated.  Please check back soon for an update.