During a three-day outbreak, which began on April 27, more than 75 tornadoes caused extensive damage in local communities between Nebraska and North Carolina. Some of the storm’s most severe damage occurred in Louisville, Miss., where an EF4 tornado debarked trees, flipped cars, destroyed factories and reduced a number of homes and apartment buildings to bare slabs.

To provide necessary supplies and assistance to the community, Southwire’s Starkville Plant and Power Cable CSC partnered with Project GIFT® to host a disaster relief drive. Over the course of three days, three Blackshirt volunteers from Carrollton, Ga., and more than 20 Blackshirts from the Starkville area worked to collect food, beverages, hygiene products, baby and pet care items, cleaning supplies and tools, blankets and towels.

Altogether, the group filled nearly three tractor-trailers with donations and collected more than $1,500. Following the drive, the supplies were delivered to the local coliseum where emergency relief supplies were collected and distributed to citizens in need.

“We're out here gathering goods, materials for the victims of the Winston County tornado that hit last Monday. It’s a lot of damage done across the county there really need to help. It is indescribable really, the fright that you feel.”

“The devastation is a lot more than people realize. You know, they sit back and they say, “Well I can imagine what they feel”, you can’t. You put your hand on it, and it’s totally new aspect. Some have went in and contributed, and then came back and contributed again.”

“You know words really just don't get it. I have a sixteen foot tandem trailer. I haven't found it yet”

“I have students that lost homes, family members, and friends. It was pretty devastating.”

“We have employees that live here from the Starkville plant. That's part of our family.”

“It has been really amazing to see how Starkville and the community has really donated all kinds of stuff. I mean we have water galore. We have diapers. We have paper towels.  We have paper goods, dog food, cat food, clothes. Just name it and they’ve sent it, and it has just been so wonderful to see it come.”

“I’ve seen a real willingness to help other people out, people that you haven't even met.”

“I’ll tell you, everybody just comes together here in Mississippi. It touches your heart, your it know, that you can actually get that type of support from your neighboring communities. You know it’s great. It’s just wonderful. I'm, you know, actually I'm just as proud as I can be to see the community in the way they are pitching in and that includes Southwire. Tremendous job from everybody at Southwire.”

“Southwire is a family company, a community company. We are just really thankful that we are able to help the community in a time of a catastrophic event such as this.”

“I'm proud to work for Southwire, just to know that they would do something like that for me.”

“And that's Southwire is about, you know, helping other people out is not a cliché, it’s the truth.”

I think what we've done will go a long way. People are gonna need help for a long time and people are still bringing supplies in. Southwire’s not done yet.”

“That’s right.”

For more information on Project GIFT, please visit our Facebook page.