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Thank You! From your fellow Joplin Expats, Joplin’s Boys & Girls Club, and most importantly, the families. And although these proud families wanted to remain anonymous, we received this heart-wrenching note from The Boys & Girls Club, on their behalf: Both … Continue reading
The Holidays are here and some families in Joplin need our help! Reconstructing one’s life takes time, an enormous amount of energy and help from others. Joplin received much kindness immediately after the tornado and the families were incredibly thankful. Six months later, however, a great deal of work and healing remain.
We are calling all Expats and Friends of Joplin to Step Up for their Community!
What was your favorite toy as a child? Did you carefully stage an army led by G.I. Joe to storm the toy box? Was your Barbie always elegantly dressed and styled, ready for her date with Ken?
There are many Joplin children 
who have lost their beloved toys – they were swept away in the wind or buried under the rubble of the children’s houses when an F5 tornado ravaged the city of Joplin on May 22.
This holiday season is difficult for most families in the Joplin area, as so many still do not have a permanent place to live or are in the midst of recovering from the trauma of that day. They continue to put the pieces of their lives back together, finding new jobs, replacing necessities and finding a new definition of a normal day.
Everywhere they look
, though, they are reminded of the devastation, the lost lives, the fear. Even though the people of Joplin have shown such a strong sense of community and demonstrated countless selfless acts to help others, they can’t escape the sights of flattened neighborhoods or broken trees. That stress takes a toll on a person.
Joplin Expats wants to help ease the stress for a few Joplin families this Christmas. Our partnering organizations - Boys & Girls Club, Bright Futures Joplin and the Lafayette House - are helping us choose the most deserving families in need, who will have no other support.
Let’s make Christmas 2011 With YOUR help, we will fulfill some of the children’s Christmas wishes and provide a warm meal for the family to share. Every family deserves a time to relax, celebrate each other and simply be together. That chance means even more to families in Joplin this year, as they have been forced to consider the alternatives.
Your contribution will help us provide up to $500 for each family to purchase toys and provide a warm meal for the family to share. 100% of your donation (less transaction fees) will go directly to these efforts for the chosen families.
Posted in #eaglepride, awareness, Boys&GirlsClub, fundraising, Holidays, Hometown, Joplin Schools, Lafayette House, thanks, tornado
Tagged Christmas, donating, expats, fundraising, Holidays, Joplin, tornado
Come visit old friends at Club 609 on Saturday, Nov. 26th
The Expats are here again, with a fun, quick and local get-together for the Holiday season. Come visit old friends, and new ones, at Club 609 at 8pm this Saturday. We will be giving away great prizes, including:
This get-together will be a great time at Joplin’s most popular spot.
And most importantly, this event will raise still-needed funds for the Boys & Girls Club of Joplin. Since the May 22nd tornado, the Boys & Girls Club has accepted a record number of children in both their summer & after school programs. And, they’ve done without the support of incremental funding.
Joplin Expats are helping unite friends for the Holidays
Through events like this all over the country, and through inspirational support and production, the Joplin Expats have already raised over $25,000 for Joplin’s students, and have helped motivate the community in their our own unique way.
Joplin Expats will continue bringing together Joplinites all over the world, and if you can’t make it to our Thanksgiving get-together, you can expect to be invited to the Christmas one, also! Please join your local Joplin friends, and friends from all over the country!
Friends coming home for the Holidays
Posted in Boys&GirlsClub, Coty, event, fundraising
Members of the DC Chapter of Joplin Expats
Despite the looming debt ceiling vote on Capitol Hill, several Congressmen, their staff and other “Hillers” joined other Washington D.C. patrons in raising money for a good cause in Joplin, Missouri. On July 28, 2011, the D.C. Chapter of the Joplin Expats hosted a happy hour fundraising event “Beltway to Route 66″ to support the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri. The event was hosted at the Dubliner Irish Pub, a well-known establishment near Capitol Hill.
Joplin’s Congressman Billy Long, one of the sponsors of the event, stopped by that evening to meet with the attendees and offer his support. Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill also sponsored the event, but was unable to attend. One of California’s Congresswoman, Lois Capps also attended the event.
Supporters at the event enjoyed the “JoMo” cocktail, silent auction items and fun raffle prizes. “The tornado affected a large number of children in Joplin and the Boys & Girls Club stepped up to provide a normal environment for many of these kids immediately after the storm,” said Andrea Hicklin, one of the founders of the Joplin Expats. “It was really inspiring to see so many people who have never been to Joplin come out and support our hometown.”
Pictured above (from Left to Right): Njari Gitonga, April Stanley Njari, Andrea Hicklin, Dannielle LeTendre, Kirsten Snyder, Divya Soni, Cesar Morales.
Posted in auction, Boys&GirlsClub, D.C., event, fundraising, raffle, Route66, tornado
Join the D.C. Chapter of the Joplin Expats in supporting the kids of Joplin, Missouri
“Beltway to Route 66 Happy Hour Event”
Hosted by the D.C. Chapter of the Joplin Expats
All Proceeds Benefit the
Boys & Girls Club of Joplin
Thursday, July 28, 2011 6pm—9pm
at The Dubliner Irish Pub (back room)
4 F Street NW (corner of N. Capitol and Mass Ave)
Washington, D.C.
Suggested Cash Donation of $10 per person at the door. Featuring the “JoMo” Cocktail Drink and Raffle Prizes!
To make a donation immediately online to the Boys & Girls Club of Joplin: http://www.bgcswmo.org/donate
Posted in awareness, Boys&GirlsClub, D.C., event, fundraising, tornado
