The Porch Visits Red Cross Tornado Shelter At Choctaw Middle School

The Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch visited Choctaw Middle School, which has become one of the Red Cross shelters following Sunday morning's devastating tornado.

Oklahoma's severe weather often brings communities together. When the tornado struck Choctaw, the Red Cross and its volunteers sprang into action.

"We are constantly trying to find our folks and getting them trained so that they know what to do," Red Cross Chapter Executive Director Loida Haffener-Salmond said. "We set up a shelter within two hours after things started coming to fruition."

The Red Cross shelter is a space where volunteers can help their neighbors, allowing the community to give back to itself. Choctaw students are out of school and are also assisting with recovery efforts.

"They work so hard," Haffener-Salmond said. "Here in Choctaw, if you're seeing this and need anything, come over here."

The shelter offers water, tarps, shovels, rakes, cleanup kits, and other necessities in the aftermath of Sunday morning's tornado outbreak. Teams of volunteers will be in the surrounding neighborhoods, distributing cleanup kits as needed.