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(Nebraska City, Neb., July 5, 2011) — In the wake of the devastating tornadoes that battered Tuscaloosa and communities throughout north Alabama, the Arbor Day Foundation, in collaboration with the Alabama Forestry Commission, launched a new campaign to bring trees to families throughout the area.

The new Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign has been launched in response to proactive efforts of the Alabama Forestry Commission to spearhead recovery of the area’s trees and forests and the requests of concerned Arbor Day Foundation members and supporters across the country.

While the cleanup and rebuilding will continue for years to come, people can help the healing process now. Anyone can help with an online donation at www.arborday.org/Tuscaloosa. For every dollar donated, the Arbor Day Foundation will deliver a tree to an Alabama resident affected by the April tornadoes.

The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign aims to help families restore their homes and neighborhoods. The new trees bring beauty, healing, and hope. With people’s support to the Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign, the tree-lined streets, shaded parks, and beautiful neighborhoods that have always been part of Alabama can return.

The Arbor Day Foundation will deliver native trees selected to thrive in the area at the best time for planting. Distribution of the trees to awaiting Alabama families and communities will be coordinated by the Alabama Forestry Commission in February 2012.

“The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign is an important effort to distribute trees to Alabamians who had homes destroyed in the April tornado outbreak,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “This campaign will help restore our communities and I am appreciative to the Alabama Forestry Commission and Arbor Day Foundation for coming together on this project.”

“The trees lost in the recent tornado outbreak provided millions of dollars in environmental, economic, and social benefits,” said Linda Casey, the Alabama State Forester. “This campaign can go a long way toward putting our communities and surrounding areas on the path to recovery.”

The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign is the newest initiative in the Arbor Day Foundation’s Trees for America program. Other initiatives include delivering more than 120,000 trees to Gulf Coast families who were victims of Hurricane Katrina, and replanting more than 20 million trees in national forests devastated by disease and fire.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization with more than one million members nationwide. More information about the Foundation and its conservation programs can be found at www.arborday.org.

The Alabama Forestry Commission is a state agency committed to protecting, conserving, and increasing Alabama’s forest resource. For more information, visit www.forestry.alabama.gov.

Bank of Tuscaloosa, First Commercial Bank, First Commercial Bank of Huntsville and First Bank of Jasper, all divisions of Synovus Bank, recently announced a collective $100,000 donation to support local groups working to help victims of recent storms in our state.

The donation is being made through the Synovus Foundation with funds being allocated to various agencies in the markets served. Bank of Tuscaloosa will distribute $40,000 to the United Way of West Alabama, The American Red Cross, the West Alabama Chamber Foundation, Focus on Senior Citizens, Boys and Girls Club of West Alabama and Temporary Emergency Services of Tuscaloosa Co.

For more information, call .

Know of a Damaged Business Needing Furniture?

If you’re in banking, accounting, insurance or other field of work in which you have contact with businesses damaged by the storm, let us know if any of them are in need of office furniture. We may be able to help.

Please contact or call 391.0559.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – While survivors of Alabama’s April tornadoes work nonstop to recover from the devastation, many may also need to recover emotionally during trying times. Individuals often seek counsel from their family, friends or church during emotional distress.

While these support networks are very beneficial, survivors should be aware that additional help is available for those who feel mentally overwhelmed, exhausted or unable to cope.

The Alabama Department of Mental Health, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal, state, and local agencies have partnered to reactivate Project Rebound in the tornado affected parts of the state. Project Rebound is a federally funded initiative that groups in Alabama have instituted when a natural disaster occurs. Project Rebound Teams provide free crisis counseling for an extended time after a disaster.

Services provided in this partnership include a toll-free hotline telephone number, community outreach and educational services and the hiring of additional personnel to staff the state’s counseling needs during these critical times.

If this disaster has emotionally impacted you or a loved one, or even if you just want someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to call for help. This is a toll-free number operated by ADMH that will be used until the Project Rebound Call Center hotline number is established. Additional free resources for parents or teachers may be found at mh.alabama.gov. Registration for disaster assistance is not required and all calls are confidential.

Recovering from the tornadoes has been a stressful and psychologically draining event for survivors, many of whom are mourning the losses of loved ones. Some survivors may overlook the signs of emotional stress while they work to rebuild their lives. While individuals respond to stress in different ways, emotional distress following disasters can include at least one of the following: depression, feelings of guilt, irritability, sleeping difficulties, fatigue, nightmares or excessive worrying.

People of all ages may exhibit any one of these symptoms, but children and older adults are of special concern in the aftermath of disasters. Children especially can be vulnerable to disaster-related stress from the interruption of daily routines and the loss of stability that the home environment provides. Symptoms of disaster trauma in children can include excessive fear of the dark, crying, fear of being alone and constant worry.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call .