ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — In the aftermath of the destructive tornados that ripped through Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and other Northern Alabama cities last Wednesday and brought the death toll to over 300, the highest since 1932, Central Baldwin communities are stepping up to lend a helping hand to those hardest hit areas.

Paula Tillman, Baldwin Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, said the following teams have been deployed: Bay Minette Fire Department, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Disaster Relief Team and Marlow/Fish River Volunteer Fire Department (self-deployed) to different locations.

Those on standby are: BC Highway Department, BC Solid Waste Department, City of Bay Minette, Orange Beach Fire Department , City of Orange Beach, Foley Fire and PD, Spanish Fort PD, City of Spanish Fort, Loxley FD, Gulf Shores PD and City of Gulf Shores.

“The BCEMA has been working since the day after the storms hit to coordinate local resources and submit those to the State EMA so they would be readily available for when the state needs for them to be deployed,” Tillman said .

For those who have collected items and are looking for a place to take them, there is a distribution warehouse open and being run by the Methodist Churches in Decatur. Address is : 3220 Hwy 31 South Building F, Decatur, Al. It is the first blue building on the left behind the Ford Dealership, Tillman said. Contact number is (256) 341-9961 or (256) 642-1759.

“If people or organizations are wanting to drop off at this location, it is extremely impertinent for them to call and arrange a time first before they go, “ Tillman explained.

Items needed are: canned goods, snack goods, baby and adult diapers, baby wipes, bottled water and blankets. No clothes are needed at this time and they are asking for items to be put on pallets if at all possible.

“We are working with VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) in these efforts and it really makes a difference when we are collecting things to know what they need because we have been in the same situation,” Tillman said.

The Baldwin Baptist Association Disaster Relief Team in Silverhill is also assembling their team and supplies to take and Evon Lowery, ministry assistant, said they have established four drop-off points around the county for items: First Baptist Church Foley, 221 Alston St., First Baptist Church, Fairhope, 300 S. Section St., First Baptist Church, Robertsdale, 18200 Hwy. 104 West, and Baldwin Baptist Association, 15840 Hwy. 104, Silverhill.

items they are collecting include: bottled water, Gatorade/Powerade, snacks, power bars, blankets, coolers, baby and adult diapers and basic toiletries. No clothing or household goods are needed at this time.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations and are sending volunteers to the different areas to assist with the mobile units. To donate monetarily, you can text 90999 and a $10 donation will be charged to your cell phone bill, said Diane Klule, director of the local chapter.

“We have had a lot of great response and people are really doing a great job of helping out. We are working with ‘Hands on South Alabama’ and people can also go to our website www.redcross.org and specify if they want their donation to go to tornado or disaster relief. We will be responding to what they need as long as they need us there,” Klule said.

The amount of volunteers sent depends of the situation and most of the time they stay for two to three weeks at a time, Klule said. Other options for monetary donations are by mail: American Red Cross, P.O. Box 1764, Mobile, Al 36633 or call 1-800-Red Cross.

Catholic Social Services in Robertsdale is accepting cash and gift card donations and director Michelle Prockup said they are directing all donations to CSS, 608 Jamie I. Harrison Jr. Parkway, Tuscaloosa, Al 35405-3133 or call (205)759-1268.

Local police and fire departments along with schools, businesses and residents are also collecting items to be taken to various agencies and locations in the hardest-hit cities.

Loxley Police Department is collecting items until May 9 at the police station and has patterned up with the Nix Center in Fairhope to load an 18 wheeler with pallets of goods.

“We have had some really great response from the community. People have been bringing all kinds of stuff in for us and we will probably be taking a load over to Fairhiope tomorrow. We really need basic items' like canned goods, water, snacks, sheets, blankets and baby items. We don’t really need any clothes or household items because people don’t have anywhere to put them. The Liquidation Center in Loxley has donated a pallet to us and that is so great,” said Amber Morgan, Loxley PD administrative assistant.

Camping World in Robertsdale is also loading an 18 wheeler with donations. Stacy Tatum, general manager, said they are collecting donations, money and gift cards to be taken to their store in Oxford, Al on Tuesday evening.

“We are giving out a $5 gift certificate to anyone who donates and they can use that toward any $25 purchase in the store. It’s not much but it’s our way of saying “thank you” to those in the community who choose to bring something in. We encourage anyone to come out and bring items. We are also donating some items from our store as well,” Tatum said.

Central Baldwin Middle School is also getting involved in relief efforts by having students bring in needed items and some of their office personnel have family members directly affected by the storms.

“Susan Smith and Jamie Gravely have family members who went to school at Holt Elementary in Tuscaloosa and other family members who lived in Hackleburg that sustained a lot of damage and the students and faculty made a decision to help. An announcement was made and the students began bringing in donations on Thursday, We also had a $450 donation from students to help as well,” CBMS principal Chuck Anderson said.

The items were being taken over the weekend and will continue taking items as long as students continue to bring them in, Andrerson said.

“This is what CBMS and Central Baldwin County is all about. I am proud of them for getting involved and helping out the folks in North Alabama. Our best thoughts and prayers go out to them at this time,” Anderson said.