[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THAD BEELER'S COMMUNITY SERVICE FOLLOWING THE 2011 JOPLIN 
                                TORNADO

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2015

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the leadership and 
public service of Thad Beeler in the aftermath of the May 22, 2011 
Joplin tornado, and congratulate him on receiving the Missouri 
Humanities Council's Exemplary Community Achievement Award.
  Many lives were lost or significantly changed in Joplin that tragic 
spring day. Many homes and businesses were leveled and thousands of 
memories captured in photos blew away in the storm. During a visit to 
his parents to clean up storm damage, Thad realized the need to recover 
and reunite the lost photos with families.
  As the Carthage First Baptist Church's music minister and ministry 
outreach director, Thad was able to coordinate a group of 500 
volunteers to recover, preserve and reunite Joplin families with lost 
photos and personal memorabilia. This group scoured the town in the 
search of documents and was able to recover some items from as far as 
Willard, Missouri--some 60 miles away. After 6,000 volunteer hours, 
more than 35,000 photos and items were recovered, retouched and stored 
at Carthage First Baptist in what became the ``Lost Photos of Joplin'' 
project. More than 17,600 photos and memories have been returned to 
Joplin residents since the project began nearly four years ago.
  The project's success and notoriety led Thad to establish the 
National Disaster Photo Rescue, a non-profit supporting post-disaster 
photo rescue and restoration efforts. The national organization has 
been in communities across the country that have experienced loss from 
severe weather, including Moore, Oklahoma, and Washington, Illinois.
  Thad Beeler has made it possible for storm victims to find documented 
history, that would otherwise be lost, and continue passing it down 
through generations to come. His dedication to his community and 
serving a special need across the country touches the lives of so many 
and eases the sting of devastation. I commend Thad for putting a novel 
idea to action and thank him for this uniquely meaningful service he 
has provided to Joplin residents and beyond.

                          ____________________