KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Independence woman is helping storm victims in St. Louis by taking another carload of donations to the city.
LaRonda Lanear was born in the Kansas City area but was raised in St. Louis, so when she saw the city was hurting, she drove down to help.
Two weeks ago, she loaded up her car with thousands of dollars worth of donations and distributed them to people who were still picking up the pieces of their homes and lives.
“While we were there, they were mostly excited to get soap, which was so crazy," Lanear said. "They were like, ‘Do you have a towel?’ They were extremely excited to get a toothbrush and also to get a hot meal that wasn’t a hot dog or a hamburger. It’s the little things."
Lanear's no stranger to distributing donations. She's the founder of the nonprofit Warm Up KC, which gives out coats, blankets and other supplies in the winter.
“It is terrible down there right now," Lanear said of St. Louis."The people are struggling. And I’m aware that they have resources there, but again, I have resources also. So why not use my platform or my resources to go help our neighbors?”
She plans to spend the rest of the month gathering another round of donated goods so that she can go back toward the beginning of July.
Lanear said the easiest way to donate is to contribute to an Amazon Wish List she's set up. Through that, you can contribute towels, soaps, razors, personal hygiene products and basic clothing.
“It is the smaller things that make a big impact for these people," she said. “I feel like if the shoe was on the other foot or if it was one of us, we would want people to come and help us. My motto is, if you have a little bit more, why not give?”
Secondly, you can contribute through a GoFundMe she set up.
“The need is still there. It’s gonna be there for a while," Lanear said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers stories involving downtown Kansas City, Missouri, up to North Kansas City. Share your story idea with Grant.
