“I have lived in Oklahoma my entire life,” Autumn Gorrell said, “but have never experienced the destruction of a tornado firsthand.”

For Autumn and her family, the damage was devastating. “I raised my kids in that home; the street they grew up on is in ruins,” she mentioned. “It leaves you feeling lost, hopeless, sad, anxious, and not knowing what to do first.”

Since then, Gorrell decided to put her best foot forward. “Everyday since April 27, 2024, I wake up and hit the ground running,” Autumn noted. “We are still recovering; we know it will be a long time—if ever—when things feel normal again.”

Autumn’s struggle was knowing what her family’s specific needs were when the tornado first hit. “I think when something like this happens to someone, it is difficult to grasp exactly what they need initially,” she said. “And that’s where I appreciate the Chickasaw Foundation. They not only reached out immediately but continued checking in months after the tornado.”

To Autumn, the Foundation was what her family needed. “The Foundation was one of the first programs to reach out to my family after the tornado and asked what we needed,” she explained. “We received gift cards that assisted with groceries, supplies, moving expenses, and immediate needs. The Foundation was also able to secure beds for us to replace the ones we lost. For now, we are still in emergency housing while we wait on our home to be repaired, but the Foundation is keeping the beds for us in the meantime.”

Autumn continued: “In the end, the Foundation got us the helped we needed when it was critical and continue to help us as we rebuild our home and lives.”