Hundreds of Church Members in St. Louis, Missouri, Serve After Destructive Tornadoes

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By Sophie Jaglowski Runyan, Church News

A tornado touched down in the St. Louis, Missouri, area Friday afternoon on May 16, 2025, and left a trail of destruction through more than three cities in its wake — even crossing over into the state of Illinois. This mile-wide EF3 tornado killed at least seven people and damaged or destroyed at least 5,000 buildings, according to a Fox Weather article.

Just over a week later, Tom Blair, volunteer and coordinating council member for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teared up during a Church News interview thinking of the continuous relief efforts from Church members in the area.

It makes him “proud to be a part of an organization like the Church, which is prepared to help people, respond in crises and get people on the ground.”

For the past two weeks, Church members in the St. Louis area traveled all over to help those in need after the tornado. The volunteers have served every day since May 16, from delivering meals to cleaning up houses and roads.

Working alongside those affected by the tornado and those of different faiths, Jill King of the Hazelwood Missouri Stake volunteered “to make a difference, to show love and relieve the suffering of those who are experiencing incredible hardship.”

‘The Most Destructive Storm System’

St. Louis did not suffer from the 20-minute tornado alone. Since March 14, the state of Missouri had been hit by severe storms leading to four federal disaster declaration requests for relief, St. Louis Public Radio reported on May 21. Some victims of those severe storms had resettled into their homes for less than a month before the May 16 tornado uprooted them.

When the tornado touched down in University City, the tornado warning siren stayed silent, due to a malfunctioning button, and the tornado swept across St. Louis and into Illinois, reported CBS News. Multiple reports about the May 16 storm show seven people dead, some 600 people homeless, over 5,000 buildings damaged or destroyed, tens of thousands losing power and over $1.5 billion in damages.

Describing the effects of the tornado in an email to the Church News, Blair said that “the most destructive storm system in over 50 years hit the city of St. Louis.”

Tender Mercies and ‘Majestic Moments’

Blair attended the press conference the newly appointed St. Louis mayor called on the day after the storms, at the invitation of Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan, an Area Seventy in the North America Central Area. Mayor Cara Spencer asked the Church to help with the immediate food needs and for volunteers to help in the debris cleanup. Afterward, Blair introduced himself to the mayor and explained that the Church planned to do that and also distribute hygiene kits and anything else needed.

“[The mayor] grabbed my hands and with some emotion said, ‘Thank you and God bless you and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,’” Blair said of the encounter.

Volunteers started that weekend in St. Louis with debris cleanup. So many people came to volunteer that the coordinating council assigned each of the stakes a focus day to avoid overwhelming the operations.

On Sunday, May 18, Blair received an evening call from the executives of the St. Louis Urban League, asking for help in delivering meals to the area. Blair immediately called Greg Clark, the owner of Hot Meals USA, and coordinated the meal efforts.

Leaders and officials requested 240 volunteers to help distribute food from Hot Meals USA, according to an email sent by the area communications team to the surrounding stakes. More than 500 volunteers showed up to help cook, box and deliver the food.

Hot Meals USA left Nebraska on Monday morning and persevered through a storm that followed the tornado. Hot Meals USA lost a trailer from the heavy winds, but they arrived in St. Louis at the Urban League headquarters and served a hot breakfast on Tuesday, May 20.

Keith Kato, a self-reliance and welfare manager for the Church, said the relief efforts were a “majestic moment” filled with tender mercies.

After that first week of many hands, the stakes that helped serve invited members to fast on June 1 for those affected by the tornado.

‘We’re in It Together’

The Church leaders and members coordinated with many agencies in St. Louis to deliver food and provide relief. Members helped other churches, health care organizations, food banks and national relief agencies to help victims of the tornado. Not only did members volunteer, but the Church made significant donations to the agencies, according to Blair.

The morning after the tornado, Pastor Cornelius Moore of the Church of God in Christ in St. Louis prayed with his wife. “Please, dear Lord, send help our way. There is so much damage and so much to clean up, it will take 50 people to do this work.” Later that day, Pastor Moore told Blair that he had received a call that at least 55 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were on their way to assist his congregation.

Missionaries of the Church’s Missouri St. Louis Mission worked in shifts at the Urban League to keep the efforts going. Just a few minutes into their first shift, the young Urban League volunteers called for a picture to be taken with their new friends.

King, who volunteered to help, spoke of the effect of these interfaith moments. “The connection that’s made with those I’m serving with and for helps build a strong bond of unity. It brings meaning to the phrases: ‘STL Strong,’ ‘We’re in it together,’ ‘Love one another.’”

Blair related how members from all faiths canceled trips and family plans, set aside their businesses and gave more in order to serve those in need. One demolition business owner put aside the jobs for the day to use his car exclusively for bussing the hot food from Hot Meals USA all over the city. Most of the time, by the time the volunteers had finished boxing up a meal, other volunteers eagerly waited to rush it to their appointed neighborhoods.

As of June 2, as reported by the Coordinating Council in the North America Central Area, the Church has contributed at least 24,000 hot meals, 5,000 emergency food boxes, 1,900 service hours, 1,600 tarps, 1,000 hygiene kits and over 1,000 cleaning buckets to the effort.

‘Just One Example of Many’

In a Church News interview, Blair said that the sacrifices made by the volunteers to serve that week and beyond were numerous, but the impact was great. He said that President Brandon R. Bezzant of the St. Louis Missouri Stake canceled a family trip so that he could come and serve. One of his children followed his example and brought her 2-year-old daughter to help, “who woke each day saying, ‘We go serve?’” Reporters and service coordinators alike cried from hearing of the efforts of the people, Blair said.

After being notified that a home with seniors was without power, the volunteers at Hot Meals USA jumped in cars to give food to them. Blair remembered how the residents were so relieved at the help that, despite their mobility issues, they leaned out their windows and waved as the volunteers left.

Even those affected by the tornado served. Blair met a young man who lost his car and the roof of his house. The youth came at first for the food but stayed every day afterward to help distribute it. Another woman took the bus every day to come and help Hot Meals USA, even though all she had left after the tornado was a suitcase, he added.

Said King: “I worked alongside a young adult man while we were loading 500 individual breakfast containers into boxes to be transported to the area neighborhoods for distribution.

“Unknown to many, he was without power in his own home and experiencing hardship. This is just one example of many throughout the St. Louis area of people who feel a desire to serve despite their own circumstances.”

‘The Gospel of Christ Chases Darkness’

A full recovery from this tornado will take years, according to the Catholic News Agency. As of May 27, 400 people were still displaced, according to Blair’s reports. However, the members of the area are ready and willing to help.

Reflecting on that week and seeing the willingness of the members, Blair said: “The tornadoes on May 16 brought destruction, fear and darkness. On May 20, members of the Church brought food, hope and light. The gospel of Christ chases darkness from among us.”

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