The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and many of its partners are working non-stop to help victims of the May 16 tornado and storms by providing nutrition, housing and hygiene items.
In a massive disaster relief effort on May 24, 2025, at the Urban League headquarters, more than 500 volunteers came together to distribute 3,000 packages of food, toiletries and other items.
The effort is ongoing with distributions scheduled for May 31, June 7, and June 14.
“We will get through this,” Michael P. McMillan, Urban League president and CEO.
“Our community has been utterly devastated by the recent tragedy of the tornado from loss of life to injury to destruction of homes, businesses, cars and institutions
“The Urban League stand ready to assist everyone that we can in any ways that we can as we work together to rebuild.”
St. Louis Schnucks Markets, a major partner with the Uban League and United Way of Metropolitan St. Louis, has responded with two relief efforts.
Through Friday, June 6, all St. Louis-area Schnucks stores will host a personal care item drive. Customers can bring or purchase personal care items and leave them in each store’s respective collection bin.
The most needed items are paper towels, cleaning products, disinfecting wipes, flashlights/batteries, bleach, first aid kits, ponchos, toothpaste/toothbrushes, towels, lotion, rubber gloves, shampoo/conditioner, feminine products, baby products, diapers, toilet paper, soap and deodorant.
Through Tuesday, June 10, Schnucks stores is hosting Round Up at the Register.to support Urban League and United Way tornado relief.
Customers can contribute to relief efforts simply by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar.
Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their Rewards points as part of the Donate Your Rewards program.
Red Cross offers financial assistance
the American Red Cross is now providing financial assistance to qualifying individuals whose homes were impacted by the May 16th tornadoes. To qualify, an individual’s home must have been classified by the Red Cross as having sustained major damage or was completely destroyed.
Red Cross teams are assessing damage to homes across the Greater St. Louis area to make these determinations.
Everyone whose home was damaged is asked to go to www.redcross.org/gethelp to review the information about qualifications and to fill out the online form.
For those who qualify to receive assistance, Red Cross will send personalized text messages and emails or call with instructions on how to access financial assistance. To receive the assistance, individuals must respond to the text, email or phone call. For questions regarding this process, call 1-800-Red-Cross.
In addition, Red Cross services are available to those impacted by the tornado including shelters, and distribution of meals and emergency clean up supplies.
Four Red Cross shelters are open in Greater St. Louis for those affected by the tornado, with more than being housed as of Monday, Memorial Day.
Shelters are located at the following sites and all have availability:
- Friendly Temple Outreach Center, 6356 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., St. Louis, MO
- Refresh Community Church: 829 N. Hanley Rd, St Louis, MO 63130
- Peter and Paul Community Services (Garfield Building) 2612 Wyoming, St. Louis MO 63118:
- Urban League Peter Bunce Campus, 2125 Bissell St, St. Louis, Missouri
- Ferguson Church of the Nazarene, 1309 N Elizabeth Ave, Ferguson, Missouri
Individuals displaced by the tornado are encouraged to come to the shelters for water, meals, snacks and a safe place to stay overnight. Trained Red Cross volunteers are available to offer disaster mental health and health care services to help those at the shelters.
The American Red Cross disaster health staff can also help to replace lost prescription medications and prescription glasses and talk through health needs.
For individuals wishing to assist the Red Cross in responding to community disasters, a financial donation is best. This allows the Red Cross to be flexible in using the funds to directly address the needs of those affected.
To donate, call 1-800 RED CROSS or donate online at www.redcross.org/donate. To volunteer to assist the Red Cross in responding to disasters, go to www.redcross.org/volunteer.