City officials and local businesses are still looking for volunteers to help those affected by a tornado that hit northeast Celina on May 25.

How to help

The Little Wooden Penguin has been coordinating its donations with the city and Celina’s Grace Bridge in the tornado aftermath, and is giving them time to assess what donations are still needed, co-owner Katie Dunn said.

“If anybody's asking what they can donate, the big thing is ... gift cards or donating to the disaster relief funds," Dunn said.

Celina residents interested in further helping with the recovery efforts can enter their contact information into a city volunteer form, according to a May 27 city news release.


Not all entries will be contacted. In the meantime, volunteers and donations can go through the Minuteman Disaster Response or Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief groups, according to the release.

"That's probably the best way to help right now,” Dunn said.

The Little Wooden Penguin is still getting calls asking how to donate, but the main goal now is to connect residents to services for things such as fallen trees, Dunn said.

Since the tornado, the recommended donations have been:
  • Water
  • Gatorade
  • Trash bags
  • Gloves
  • Cleaning supplies
For now, Grace Bridge has enough of the recommended items, Celina Communications Director Joe Monaco said.


Residents can contact Grace Bridge directly at 214-425-9423 for donation-related questions, according to the release.

The background

Dunn offered up her business as a secondary donation site less than 24 hours after the tornado hit.

Hundreds of residents responded.
Hundreds of donations came through to the Little Wooden Penguin after the tornado, co-owner Katie Dunn said. (Courtesy Katie Dunn)
Hundreds of donations came through to the Little Wooden Penguin after the tornado, co-owner Katie Dunn said. (Courtesy Katie Dunn)
“From there it just took on a life of its own,” Dunn said.


Some people came with trash bags and bottles of water; some came with food; some came ready to cook; others came with food trucks, and dozens more came ready to run supplies between the Little Wooden Penguin and the official Celina Grace Bridge donation site.

By May 28, volunteers had packed an entire commercial-sized box truck with donated supplies for Grace Bridge, Dunn said. A second shipment is already set to be picked up.
Volunteers had filled up an entire commercial-sized box truck of donated goods for Grace Bridge, Little Wooden Penguin co-owner Katie Dunn said. (Courtesy Katie Dunn)
Volunteers had filled up an entire commercial-sized box truck of donated goods for Grace Bridge, Little Wooden Penguin co-owner Katie Dunn said. (Courtesy Katie Dunn)
“One of the number one things I've heard from people is ‘I've never seen anything like this,’” Dunn said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Communications Director Joe Monaco.