Missouri House Resolution No. 244
Missouri House Resolution No. 244
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SECOND REGULAR SESSION
Whereas, AmeriCorps volunteers have been indispensable to the recovery efforts in Joplin and Duquesne, Missouri, following the tornado that killed 161 residents and destroyed over 7,000 homes, churches, schools and businesses; and
Whereas, within hours after the tornado struck, AmeriCorps members from the AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team and the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps arrived in Joplin to begin working with local authorities to assist in search and rescue and establish a missing persons hotline; and
Whereas, initial teams were soon joined by AmeriCorps VISTA, the Washington Conservation Corps; American YouthWorks; Minnesota Conservation Corps; Iowa Conservation Corps; HEAL AR AmeriCorps; Southwest Conservation Corps; Habitat for Humanity; Missouri Community Rivers Network; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri (Colombia); Grace Hill AmeriCorps Trail Rangers; the Purdy R-II School District/Purdy Reading Coaches; the American Red Cross: Prevent, Prepare, Respond; the Eldon R-I School District/PAVE AmeriCorps Tutoring Program; the Waynesville R-6 School District/AmeriCorps Waynesville; Equal Justice Works, and the St. Bernard Project; and
Whereas, AmeriCorps members have managed a volunteer operation that has recruited, facilitated, and supervised more than 60,600 volunteers providing more than 579,000 hours of volunteer service since the tornado; and
Whereas, AmeriCorps members and the volunteers they supervised have provided disaster assistance to more than 2,000 households; and
Whereas, seven months after the tornado struck, AmeriCorps members continue to provide services to the people of Joplin and Duquesne and are committed to support the town’s long-term recovery:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that we, the members of the Missouri House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth General Assembly, join unanimously to applaud the history, goals, and accomplishments associated with the AmeriCorps program and to convey to all of those involved this legislative body’s most heartfelt commendation of their efforts in Joplin and Duquesne following the devastating EF-5 tornado on May 22, 2011; and
Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution in honor of the AmeriCorps program.