Tornado Relief for Andy's Home & Workshop

On May 19th, 5 tornadoes came through Missouri and caused devastation for our family. The rain uprooted a large tree, which crashed into my father-in-law's "garage," completely destroying it.

We all call it the garage, but the truth is, this was his home. He built it himself nearly 20 years ago. He's spent every day working in it, hanging out in it; he slept in there half the time if we're being honest. He's spent years curating collectibles to decorate his walls and covered the benches full of tools. If you were looking for Andy, he was in there. I myself have spent countless afternoons and evenings having great conversations with him in the 3 years I've lived on the family property. The garage is full of memories for an entire lifetime.

If you know Andy Smith, or you're a local, you know that Andy is a huge part of the community on "Red Rock Road." He's the kind of guy that you can call in the middle of the night because your car is stuck, and he'll come get you, no questions asked. He'll fix your car for a case of beer and a couple of good jokes. I've watched him spend sleepless nights looking for people who've gone missing in the trails on our road. Even during the storm, he braved going out to check on friends' family who weren't answering their phone to make sure they were okay. He's let so many people come in and out of his house and garage when they needed a place to sleep. On a daily basis, people show up to ask him for help fixing this, that, or the other thing. He's the best kind of guy who always shows up for family and the community.

Losing his garage is the most devastating thing that could happen to him. Since he lives off food stamps and social security, he has no means to afford to rebuild and replace what was lost. I want to reach out and ask for any help possible to help get him back on his feet and rebuild a new garage to work out of. He's really the best guy who deserves to have this replaced.

"On 5/19/2025, a massives storm, biggest that my family has ever seen, hit us hard. It was scary, the wind was so loud that I couldn't even hear a crash when then tree fell while I was in the storm shelter. He said to me right before going to his own shelter "I'm turning the light on in the garage so you have more light over here!" And the next words I heard him saying were "The garage is GONE!"

A lot more than we expected made it out, but a lot was still very damaged.

My dad gives so much to everyone around him, and he's a wonderful person. I think everyone who meets him knows it. To see him have to take a loss like this is hard. He knows everyone and everyone knows him, and he's always makes sure everyone is taken care of. Now it's our turn to return the favor. " -Ryan, Andy's son