Govs Step Up
Clarksville, TN – When an EF-3 tornado ripped through Clarksville last month, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) campus community quickly united to offer volunteers, supplies, and shelter to support those in need.
The tornado impacted approximately 50 students, and at least nine completely lost their homes – which drove dozens of students, faculty, and staff to lend a helping hand.
“We did a campus-wide collection drive with multiple collection points, and we collected a ton of donations for YAIPak Outreach,” said Alexandra Wills, director for Community Engagement and Sustainability. “We’ve [also] given out $11,000 in emergency funds since this happened for tornado-specific issues … and went out and restocked as much fridge and freezer-related food as we could for the SOS Food Pantry.”
In addition, Austin Peay State University repurposed some of its campus housing to shelter tornado victims, and several University organizations coordinated with local nonprofits and government officials to send volunteers across the city.
“I took a group of volunteers and went to Manna Café,” said Community Engagement Coordinator Meagan Potts. “It was mostly students. We oversaw donations, so the trucks would pull up, and they were constantly getting supplies. There were tons of cartons of milk, and they were running out of fridge space, so we brought some to the SOS Food Pantry and some to Loaves and Fishes.”
