Dear Funeral Service Supplier Partners,
NFDA has received numerous inquiries from our supplier friends expressing concern for the situation in Joplin, Missouri. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.
The Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association (MFDEA) Disaster Response Team has been on the scene since Sunday assisting in the aftermath of the devastating tornado. FEMA is also assisting and has estimated that 8,000 structures, including individual apartment complexes, were destroyed and that the tornado affected about 1,800 acres or 30 percent of the city.
NFDA and the surrounding state associations have reached out to the MFDEA to offer assistance. Should they respond to our offer and express a need for additional support, we will communicate with you immediately. We understand that Vernie Fountain and Jim Eaton head up MFDEA’s Disaster Response Team and that the death toll is now at 123.
If you would like to offer assistance, please contact Don Otto, MFDEA Executive Director at the association’s office, 573-635-1661
Your generous offering of support is most gratifying and truly represents the spirit of our profession.
Respectfully,
Christine Pepper
