(Germantown, TN) A Germantown woman is stepping up to help families devastated in the Moore, Oklahoma tornadoes.
Ashley Orr’s family in Moore survived.
That sparked her to do something.
This isn’t the first time Orr’s life has been affected by the wrath of Mother Nature.
“Literally just panic,” said Orr. “We sat on the couch watching over and over asking, ‘what was going on’, trying to find answers.”
She watched TV as a tornado ripped through the town where her family lives.
The twister killed 24 people Monday in Moore, Oklahoma and left Orr wondering if her family was among them, “We were calling them and the phone lines were down so we couldn’t get in touch with them.”
It took four painstaking hours for Orr to get word that her family was okay, but their homes suffered some damage, including blown out windows.
The fear of not knowing brought back memories for her.
She showed News Channel 3 a tattoo on her ankle she got in memory of a friend she lost when a tornado hit Tuscaloosa, AL two years ago.
Back then she says she was too traumatized to reach out and help, “You never think that something like that can affect your life as much as it can.”
This time after hearing that a school was hit and children were among the dead, Orr decided to act.
She believes food, water, and clothing donations will already be provided.
That’s why she is collecting toys, like stuffed animals and games to hand-deliver to the devastated areas.
“I`m giving them something to kind of get their mind off of what is going on around them and still be a kid at the same time,” Orr said.
If you would like to donate new toys, you have until Saturday to drop items off at the Chick-Fil-A at 1230 S. Germantown Parkway near Wolf River Blvd.
Orr says she will take them with her to Moore, OK on Sunday.