Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ROLLA— Holly Esposito of the Salvation Army Phelps County Service Extension accepts a $10,000 grant from the Phelps County Disaster Relief Fund to assist families with housing needs, such as relocation and rent expenses; home repairs not covered by insurance or FEMA; and debris removal, all of which must be a direct impact of the March 14 tornado in Rolla and Phelps County.

Families in need can learn more by emailing Esposito at phelpscountysalvationarmy@gmail.com.

About $33,000 of donations remain. The Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) and Phelps County Community Foundation (PCCF) will consider how the remaining funds may be distributed. Additional funds may be needed in certain areas, or new needs may come to light. Additional funding opportunities will be available in the future for the remaining funds raised for tornado relief.

Over $104,000 in donations were collected to assist with recovery efforts from the EF-2 that hit Rolla and Phelps County on March 14, 2025. Per IRS Code, these funds cannot be given to individual persons, but can be distributed to 501©3 nonprofits, schools, churches and local governments, who in turn can assist individuals. 

“We are extremely grateful for the generous donations that came into help families, businesses and agencies in Rolla and Phelps County who were impacted by the tornado,” said Bonnie Prigge, executive director of Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), who coordinated the grant process on behalf of MRCF and PCCF. “We take very seriously the trust that has been placed in us to distribute these funds, and we look forward to seeing these dollars benefiting our families, businesses and organizations and helping them move forward. On behalf of MRCF and PCCF, we say thank you to our donors and to the organizations who stepped up to assist in this recovery process.”

Donations can still be made to the Phelps County Disaster Relief Fund at http://cfozarks.org/phelps for future natural disasters. These donations are tax deductible.

For additional information, contact Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Executive Director Bonnie Prigge at 573-265-2993 or via email at bprigge@meramecregion.org.

MRCF is an outgrowth of the MRPC and is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Jared Niederer of Gasconade County serves as chairman of MRCF.

MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation and providing the initial investment to create a grant program, provides staff support to MRCF.

The Phelps County Community Foundation is the newest affiliate of CFO founded in 2023. Its 13-member board works to bring together individuals, nonprofits and government entities so the foundation can leverage a broader range of resources, knowledge and expertise to address community needs more comprehensively. Marla Stevenson serves as board chair for the Phelps County Community Foundation.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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