SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Donations are pouring in for the Oklahoma tornado victims. And here in San Diego, a grassroots effort by a group of military wives, with connections to the tragedy, has grown throughout the day.
This group of military wives put the word out on Facebook around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday and throughout the day people have been dropping off all kinds of donations, enough to fill a driveway.
For two of the women who organized this drive, what happened in Moore, Oklahoma is personal.
"I have a friend they can't find. They found her son, so I'm just praying that they'll find her too," said Melanie Voss.
Voss' connection to Moore runs deeps. The Oklahoma native used to live in the town of less than 60,000 people, where on Monday a tornado touched down destroying nearly everything in its path.
"It's pretty horrible. When the May 3rd tornadoes went through, I was there and that was bad enough. I hear it's so much worse," added Voss.
Diana Noschang has been just as impacted by the tragedy:
"My heart breaks for those families."
Noschang's best friend lives in Moore.
"Her grandmother's home is to the ground and so many people she knows, they have nothing."
Together, these two military wives wanted to do something to help. They decided to reach out to others in the local military community and ask for donations. The response has been overwhelming. And all they need now, is for someone to ship the items.
Among the items they've collected so far: water, diapers, shoes and clothes for all ages. Someone even donated a shovel. And while that particular item may seem a bit odd, it could actually mean the difference between life and death - as rescue workers continue searching through the rubble.
These women plan to collect items through Wednesday and they'd like to have the items shipped by Thursday.
If you are able to help with shipping, please email: marinewife521@gmail.com