North Tulsa Churches Join To Help Tornado-Stricken Community

Places of worship sustained some of the worst damage in last week’s tornadoes. Now groups are stepping up to help their congregations, while others churches are collecting donations for victims.

Timothy Baptist Church held service at the Dream Center on Sunday morning, and you would never guess what they'd gone through just days before.

“It seemed as if the building took a breath, and when it exhaled, things started to collapse,” pastor JB Patterson said.

The church hosted a prayer group Wednesday with close to 30 of their members inside the building, completely unaware of what was headed their way.

An EF2 tornado wreaked havoc along the 46th Street North corridor, destroying homes, downing trees and wrecking their church building and four others.

Now, in the wake of the storm, organizations have stepped up to help the community -- including other churches.

The North Peoria Church of Christ is collecting donations for families in need.

“The necessary items to survive with right now [are needed],” minister Warren Blakney said. “Water, anything that you can bring that's non-perishable."

The church will collect donations at their location off North Peoria.

And they aren't the only ones -- other churches have stepped up to help, too, by offering food, shelter and a place to worship.

It's a community effort Patterson says he's so grateful for.

“We're usually on the other end helping others and it's a different feeling when you are on the other end that's receiving the help,” he said. “It humbles you; it humbles you. We are humbled by the experience."