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Want to help after the Middle Tennessee tornadoes? Need help? Here’s where to turn.

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Blaise GaineyWPLN News
Tornado survivors gather at a shelter in Clarksville Sunday morning.
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After a disaster in our community, the first question many ask is: What now?

So as recovery begins in Middle Tennessee after the deadly tornadoes Saturday, WPLN News has compiled this list of places offering resources for those affected and ways to contribute time and money for those who want to help.

Know about more places to get or give help? Email [email protected].

For Survivors

A collective of Nashville volunteer organizations has officially activated in response to Saturday’s tornadoes. Those who need assistance can fill out a request form at NashvilleResponds.com. The group says it’s in the very early stages of recovery, and it will take 72 to 96 hours to respond to requests.

Officials advise anyone who needs help to call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.

“If you have been displaced or suffered through this tornado and you need prescriptions or you need medical supplies or oxygen, please go to the shelters and let them know. We are ready to support you in those efforts,” LoriAnn Tinajero the executive director of the Tennessee River Chapter of Red Cross said. “Also, we do have spiritual care teams here and mental health care teams at all the shelters.”

The city of Clarksville has set up a hotline to coordinate all tornado recover efforts at 931-245-2988.

“We’re no stranger to disasters,” said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts. “But one thing I do know is the city is resilient, and when there is a need, we respond.”

Be advised: The Nashville Emergency Operations Center is warning of scammers.

“We (are) getting reports of out of state ‘Contractors’ who are going into damaged areas to try to get business. Remember this is a time when a number of unlicensed people take advantage of people impacted by the storm,” the EOC tweeted with a link to the Federal Trade Commission’s article on how to avoid disaster recovery scams.

Shelter

Red Cross has shelters established at Northeast High School in Clarksville (3701 Trenton Road), Cornerstone Church in Hendersonville (1410 Stop 30 Road), and Madison Community Center in Madison (550 North Dupont Avenue). There is another independently-run shelter in Clarksville (2650 Trenton Road) at Church of Christ at Trenton Crossing, and one at The Center in Springfield (401 N Main Street). The Dickson County Family YMCA was open as a storm shelter Saturday night for those affected by the storms in the Cumberland Furnace and Claylick areas.

Pawster is offering temporary care for the pets of anyone who has been displaced. Contact them at [email protected], text 615-434-4913, or complete an intake form at pawsternashville.org/help.

Rearden Barn Company is offering free tree removal, roof tarping and clean up. Contact Jake Rearden at 629-888-7663 or [email protected].

U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage services for those affected at six stores in Middle Tennessee and one in southern Kentucky.

“Our Hendersonville store sustained damage during these storms, so we know firsthand that our fellow Tennesseans are in need,” said Adam Muszynski, the president of U-Haul Company of North Nashville. “As our people begin to clean up their properties, we are providing a month of free storage services for their belongings. We encourage anyone in need of a storage unit to give us a call and take advantage of our disaster relief program.”

U-Haul encourages people to contact their nearest participating facility from the following:

  • U-Haul Moving & Storage of Clarksville at 712 Providence Blvd., Clarksville, TN 37042 (931-647-8028)
  • U-Haul Moving & Storage at Wilma Rudolph at 2830 Wilma Rudolph Blvd., Clarksville, TN 37040 (931-648-0500)
  • U-Haul Moving & Storage of Madison at 121 Moving Center Court, Madison, TN 37115 (615-868-5081)
  • U-Haul Moving & Storage of Rivergate (U-Box only) at 1515 Gallatin Pike N., Madison, TN 37115 (629-221-2502)
  • U-Haul Moving & Storage of Nashville at 506 Fesslers Lane, Nashville, TN 37210 (615-736-5231)
  • U-Haul Moving & Storage at Mt. Juliet (U-Box only) at 14535 Lebanon Road, Old Hickory, TN 37138 (615-754-6246)
  • U-Haul Storage of Oak Grove at 8475 Pembroke Oak Grove Road, Oak Grove, KY 42262 (270-605-5172)

Food

The Nashville Jam Company is offering Madison, Hendersonville and beyond residents free breakfast and a place to charge devices and warm back up.

The Bagelshop is offering those affected coffee and bagels at their Donelson shop, plus wifi and a place to regroup.

Birria Babe is hosting a free chicken nacho and taco buffet dinner for anyone affected at Crazy Gnome Brewery in East Nashville Sunday night.

BYH Kitchen + Bar in Gallatin is offering half off the bill for anyone without power and encouraging folks to bring games and hang out with others in the expansive upstairs area Sunday. They will remain open until at least 3 but are willing to remain open if busy.

Hygiene

Shower the People was offering free showers at Mosaic Church in Clarksville on Sunday. Find locations on its Instagram, @showerthepeoplenashville, and on Facebook, @showerthepeople.

Mental Health

Mental Health Cooperative has been Metro Nashville’s official partner for mental health assistance after past tornadoes. All MHC sites will be open Monday and “ready/willing to help however needed.” Call 615-726-0125.

For Helpers

Disaster response organizations are asking people to avoid heading to areas affected by the tornadoes. That includes people who want to volunteer. Emergency managers and volunteer groups say the wait is needed so that first responders and utility workers can continue their work.

Hands On Nashville (615-298-1108) has connected thousands of volunteers with people and agencies that needed help in previous emergency recoveries. Their volunteer opportunities landing pages for Nashville and Clarksville went live Monday.

Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, or VOAD, is the organization behind aforementioned NashvilleResponds.com and recommends those wanting to give to do so through the United Way of Greater Nashville.

Blood Assurance is accepting blood donations Tuesday in Hendersonville — with an “extraordinary need” for O-positive and O-negative blood. The drive will take place in the parking lot of the Planet Fitness at 393 E. Main Street from 12 to 5 p.m. Donors can schedule an appointment online beforehand. The agency says it shipped extra blood, platelet and plasma units the last couple days to several Middle Tennessee hospitals that have been treating people with injuries related to the storms.

In past disasters, Metro Nashville has recommended donating to the following:

  • Salvation Army (615-242-0411), which often provides food, clothing, bedding, housing and other emergency aid to victims. The agency typically provides case work and financial counseling services to those impacted as well.
  • Second Harvest Food Bank (615-329-3491), which provides food and education to 46 Tennessee counties, including Davidson
  • Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (888-540-5200), which is the region’s primary charitable repository for cash. It also maintains control over the Metro Disaster Response Fund, a program “designed to meet the needs of our community during disaster.”

YAIPak Outreach, Hands On Nashville’s Disaster Relief Strobel Recipient of 2023, is receiving donations Sunday until 6 p.m. at their warehouse (1255 Paradise Hill Road, Clarksville, TN). The following supplies are most needed: large tarps, contractor bags, flashlights, batteries (AA & AAA), ziplock bags (quarts and gallons), totes with lids, chainsaws, shovels, rakes, and pitch forks.

Operation BBQ Relief, which helped after the March 2020 tornadoes, is monitoring the situation and asks Tennesseans send any information or mass feeding needs to [email protected].

The Community Resource Center (218 Omohundro Place, Nashville) is accepting multiple ways to help:

Direct giving

GoFundMe fundraiser links are being shared far and wide on social media, so here are some personal fundraisers verified by the company:

Here are some for local businesses that sustained damage or were destroyed:

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.

This post was last updated 5:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Rachel Iacovone, Director of Multiplatform Publishing

Rachel Iacovone (YAH-kuh-VOAN-ee) is WPLN's Director of Multiplatform Publishing, which is a long way of saying she leads all the ways the news reaches you (this website, social media, This Is Nashville and more). She began her public radio career covering politics in Florida during the 2016 presidential race. In 2019, Rachel came to Nashville as a local Morning Edition, and later All Things Considered, host before her passion for data deep dives, visualizations, photography and social media storytelling pulled her off air and put her online fully.

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