Helping Out at Home

(SIOUX CITY, IA) From damaging storms and tornadoes to record flooding, 2011 has left many in families in need. Those disasters were enough to make a regular guy like Mike Jefferson step up and give back in a big way.

After a fatal tornado hit near his hometown of Joplin, Missouri, Mike Jefferson had a plan: gather supplies to send south. But when the Mighty Mo started rising at home, those plans changed.

"That's when we decided to keep the merchandise here and help our friends and family here in Siouxland," says Jefferson.

Mike and his family decided to donate the more than 4,000 items to Siouxland charities.

"People need us out there, and we had the opportunity to share and to be out there for the people," says Rhonda Capron, owner of Rhonda's Speak Easy.

A semi trailer full, everything from shaving cream to canned food. Good news for the Boys and Girls Home.

"We are here gathering things for our clients, for our kids, and they are some of the neediest people in Siouxland," says Katie Swanson, food services director for the Boys and Girls Home.

The flood has displaced 32 kids from the Nebraska program, moving them to Sioux City, meaning more mouths to feed.

"Anything new that these children get is so greatly appreciated, because they're not used to having their own and new, so what a treat for them," says Swanson.

It's a regular family, proving that giving back is simple, and something anyone can do.

"We went out as a family and did something to give back to the community, because someday it could happen to you, or it could happen to your neighbor, and you would want your friends or families to help you in return," says Jefferson.

Even the trailer that the food was in was a donated item. It came from the Christian rock band Bread of Stone.

There are a lot of ways to help out and everyone can get involved. One way is to give to the Siouxland Recovery Fund. You can do that by texting the word RECOVER to 80088 to make a ten dollar donation. Remember, every little thing we do helps out in a big way.

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