Rising from the rubble.
Around 11:00am on Sunday, November 17, 2013, an EF4 tornado ripped through Washington, Illinois, damaging or destroying over 1,100 homes. Entire neighborhoods were leveled.
News spread fast about the damage. An outpouring of support from across the country began to flood the town. Leaders quickly realized the need to find a place for the donations. Three days later, the Washington Tornado Relief Fund was established.
Later renamed the Washington Illinois Area Foundation, the original fund was created as a 501(c)(3) charity to provide assistance in the aftermath of the tornado. More than $1.6 million was donated to help residents, churches, and governments rebuild.
What began as a disaster became a springboard to what is now today the Washington Community Foundation.
