Tuscaloosa pays tornado recovery efforts forward with Selma donation drive

By WVUA 23 Student Reporter Ariyanna Harris

The city of Tuscaloosa knows what it’s like to suffer major damage, and it’s paying that knowledge forward by supporting Selma after a Jan. 12 tornado devastated the area.

Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue’s fire departments hosted collection drives for needed items through Feb. 3, and the response was more than the city could have hoped for.

“You know we didn’t have a very long window of time to accept donations,” said Tuscaloosa Public Relations Manager Sarah Gilmore. “We had people bringing in pallets of toilet paper and lots of boxes of supplies. It’s been a really great response.”

Tuscaloosans are always willing to show up for neighbors in need, Gilmore said, because they were the recipients of so much love and assistance after April 27, 2011.

“We just wanted to let the city of Selma know that, just like cities of Alabama came together to support Tuscaloosa after the April 27, 2011, tornado, that we have their back. We’re here for them during their recovery process,” said Gilmore.

If you missed the donation drive and want to help, you can make a financial donation through the Black Belt Community Foundation.