Following the tornado that devastated Oklahoma last week, several Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama community members have been doing what they can to help with relief efforts, feeling a connection to their own experiences with the April 27, 2011, tornado that tore through the state of Alabama.

The Silent Tide, an organization originally formed to protest the Westboro Baptist Church’s recent visit to the University, is organizing a wine and cheese benefit at Hotel Capstone to benefit tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma and Kansas, Cassandra Kaplan, a senior majoring in public relations, said.

“The group was founded a week before Westboro Baptist Church came to Tuscaloosa,” Kaplan said. “[We] put together The Silent Tide as a peaceful, nonconfrontational protest for that day. We planned on this being a one-time event, but when the tornadoes happened, we decided to find a way to help.”

Part of the inspiration for the group’s efforts to aid Oklahoma came from the comments made by Westboro after the natural disaster, she said.

“Half an hour after storms hit Moore, [Okla.,] Westboro Baptist Church was on Twitter talking about how this was God’s will and talking about an elementary school with kids thought to be trapped inside,” Kaplan said. “They were saying all these horrible things about how they hoped these kids were dead.”

The main driving force behind The Silent Tide’s fundraising, though, came from group members’ own experiences following the April 27, 2011 tornadoes, Kaplan said.

“The reason we wanted to do this is that we were so impacted by the tornado that hit here, and we wanted to let them know that we haven’t forgotten the impact of the outside people coming to us to help,” Kaplan said.

The fundraiser will take place Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available at Canterbury Chapel.

Catherine Shelby, a UA graduate with a degree in social work, has been heavily involved with Alabama for Oklahoma Animals, a statewide group that is providing pet supplies, veterinary equipment and feed for larger animals of the affected areas in and around Norman, Okla. Shelby, who is interested in the use of animal therapy for her clients, has worked with animal rescue organizations in the past. When she saw the news coverage of the Oklahoma tornadoes, something stood out to her.

“Seeing all of the dogs and the cats on the news coverage in Oklahoma, I didn’t see one dog or cat walk by without a collar on, which means that they belong to someone,” Shelby said. “Just knowing that we are sending these supplies out there that are taking care of people’s pets – the pets that have become such a huge part of their – family, makes me feel a lot better.”

Shelby said these animals are vital to victims of the tornadoes who might have lost everything else they owned.

“There are a lot of people who have lost all of their material things but have their animal left, and that’s all they have,” Shelby said. “It makes them stronger; it’s something familiar to them, something they can relate to, a companion they did not lose.”

So far, Alabama for Oklahoma Animals has teamed up with Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa, the Auburn University organization formed to aid Tuscaloosa and other affected communities after the April 27, 2011, tornadoes, to send a large semi-trailer truck filled with supplies for both humans and animals to Oklahoma. They will be sending another truck with animal supplies soon.

Additionally, Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa began developing their own relief effort for Oklahoma soon after the tornadoes hit.

Holly Shirley, the executive director of Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa, said the organization is also collaborating with local radio station 95.3 The Bear in Tuscaloosa and Journey Church in Norman, Okla., to help the city of Moore and surrounding areas.

“The first truck was sent out within 24 hours from Tuscaloosa,” Shirley said. “We set up drop spots for supplies all over the state.”

Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa has also set up an Amazon wish list for supplies still needed in Oklahoma.

“What is needed now is clean up supplies, like wheelbarrows and shovels,” Shirley said.

Shirley says Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa will continue helping with the Oklahoma relief effort for as long as they need. More information on supplies currently needed can be found on its Facebook page.