After the Cameras Leave

Club Teens Support Joplin, MS

The Intrepid Keystone Club of the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn recently volunteered with Rebuild Joplin as part of their “After the Cameras Leave” project.  The project is a national initiative to encourage youth to raise awareness for areas affected by disaster even after the media has left and they are no longer part of national news headlines.  On May 22, 2011 a tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri leaving 3 million square feet of debris and 9,200 citizens essentially homeless.  Upon hearing of this devastation, the teens spent the year fundraising for a service trip to help support the rebuilding efforts that are ongoing almost a year and a half after the storm.  To date over 144,000 people have volunteered 877,000 hours to these efforts.   Six teen members of the Keystone program volunteered with Rebuild Joplin projects that ranged from cleaning out a home to preparing three foundations for new homes.  Members saw firsthand the long term effects of natural disasters and that the impact of volunteers can make all the difference.