Southland school districts rally to aid Kankakee tornado recovery

Students and staff from multiple districts collected and delivered supplies to help residents after devastating storms.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:05am

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After hearing about the tornado damage in Kankakee County last week, a group of Southland school districts and other leaders quickly organized donations of food, water, clothing, and other supplies. Students and staff from schools including Southland College Prep Charter High School, Rich Township District 227, Matteson districts 159 and 162, and Park Forest-Chicago Heights District 163 pooled resources and coordinated a relief effort, filling trucks and buses to deliver the much-needed items to Kankakee.

Why it matters

The collaborative effort by the Southland school districts demonstrates the power of community support in the face of natural disasters. By quickly mobilizing resources and student volunteers, the schools were able to provide direct aid to Kankakee residents impacted by the tornado, highlighting the important role that local institutions can play in disaster relief.

The details

After District 227 Superintendent Johnnie Thomas spoke with Kankakee District 111 Superintendent Teresa Lance and learned of the urgent need for supplies, the Southland districts sprang into action. They asked families to donate non-perishable items and winter clothing, and within a day had several trucks and buses full of student volunteers ready to deliver the goods to Kankakee. The students, including members of Southland College Prep's Kappa League leadership program, were moved by the devastation they witnessed, with one freshman noting it was "different to see houses reduced to rubble" compared to seeing it on TV.

  • On March 13, the Southland districts coordinated their relief efforts.
  • The tornado and hail that damaged nearly 500 structures and killed two people in Kankakee County occurred the previous week.

The players

Johnnie Thomas

Superintendent of Rich Township District 227.

Teresa Lance

Superintendent of Kankakee District 111, whose high school was damaged by the tornado.

Blondean Davis

Superintendent of Southland College Prep and District 162.

J'Than Phillips

A freshman at Southland College Prep whose extended family lives in Kankakee and experienced the storm firsthand.

Napoleon Williams

A 15-year-old sophomore at Rich Township High School who volunteered to help transport and unpack the donated goods.

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What they’re saying

“You could hear her voice was heavy. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked her, is there anything you need? And she said I need about 10, 10 or 11 cases of water.”

— Johnnie Thomas, Superintendent of Rich Township District 227

“It's one thing to see it on TV, but it's different to see houses reduced to rubble. It was moving for the children — they understood why they were there.”

— Blondean Davis, Superintendent of Southland College Prep and District 162

“I know my family was like really happy that they could get something. That also made me really happy because I saw the impact and how it actually turned out.”

— J'Than Phillips, Freshman at Southland College Prep

What’s next

The school districts plan to continue coordinating relief efforts and monitoring the ongoing recovery in Kankakee in the weeks and months ahead.

The takeaway

The swift and collaborative response from the Southland school districts demonstrates the power of community-driven disaster relief efforts, as local institutions mobilized resources and student volunteers to provide direct aid to those impacted by the devastating tornado in Kankakee.