Olathe church sends tokens of care from Kansas City to Joplin, still looking for donations

OLATHE, Kansas - When members of LifePointe Church in Olathe leave for Joplin Monday morning, they want to do so with three truck loads of supplies.

Pastor Patrick Norris explained, “How many opportunities do we miss that we can really help lives and change the condition of disaster and pain and suffering?"

The tornado that flattened Joplin, Missouri a week ago offered that kind of opportunity to his church.

Parishioners aren’t taking the task lightly. In fact, after services on Sunday morning, they had already collected a number of supplies and $4,500.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Baby formula, diapers, bottled water and batteries.

Norris will keep the trucks open at the church until 9 o’clock Sunday evening.

LifePointe Church is located at 2080 East 151st Street, right behind the CVS.

The trucks will travel early on Memorial Day.

Church volunteer David Chitwood hatched the idea for this drive, “This time, I just had to do something."

Once he got the ball rolling, supplies and money started rolling in. Chitwood is eager to help-out in Joplin too, “Whether it be helping the shelter, go out and cut down trees or whatever, we're there to help."

Church member Katherine Minten has already been to Joplin. Her parents live there. They survived with only slight damages to their house. Minten said the devastation was heartbreaking, “So many things from my childhood are not only damaged but flattened and aren't even there anymore."

Minten will travel back to Joplin Monday for the second time in a week.

Monetary donations will be accepted beyond Sunday evening.   The money will be used to buy whatever supplies are needed in Joplin at the time.