ARNOLD – Anyone who knows MODR volunteer Toby Tucker already knows that the Distinguished Service Award he received from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Send Relief was well deserved. Presented in recognition of exceptional service during a disaster and based on the most recent year of responses, the Distinguished Service Award is like an All-Star award for volunteers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during an actual response or series of responses during the most recent year.
The award is normally presented during the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Roundtable, which was to be held this past January near Columbus, Ohio. Unfortunately, most of the Roundtable was cancelled due to bad weather, prompting presentation of the award at First Baptist Church in Arnold, Missouri—Tucker’s home church—this past March 7.
For those who don’t know Toby, however, all one has to do to realize he is more than worthy of the recognition is look at the numbers. There’s the 62 days as Incident Commander on three different tornado responses in 2025 during which time he managed 9,000 volunteer hours after the St. Louis Tornado and Imperial/Franklin County storm. Then there’s the 320+ homeowners he and his teams have assisted with debris cleanup. He also organized and coordinated a mobile field kitchen to provide countless storm victims with hot meals. But that’s only one year.
“For more than 10 years Toby Tucker has been a trusted presence in the St. Louis region – building relationships, supporting disaster survivors and strengthening community resilience,” said MODR Director Gaylon Moss. “However, Toby’s response hasn’t been limited to his experience serving in the St. Louis area. When available, he also serves disaster survivors in other states … usually after storms or hurricanes.”
Tucker admitted, “It came as a total surprise, but was very much appreciated. They got me hook, line and sinker. Some of the other volunteers had finally talked me into going to the Roundtable, but then it got cancelled, so they arranged to have it presented to me at church, without me knowing about it.”
Tucker explained that his son oversees the security team at church, so he made sure Toby was going to be there that Sunday. Then, he claimed he needed some help, only to have Toby walk in on the surprise.
“It was a well-deserved surprise, too,” Gaylon Moss concludes. “In addition to his service to survivors, Toby plays a vital role in mentoring volunteers, modeling a life of service that inspires them to use their skills and time to help others. As a lifelong member of the greater St. Louis community, he brings invaluable firsthand knowledge of the region’s people, geography, and history, along with experience from multiple past disasters.”
Others in attendance at the presentation beside Tucker and Moss were Dan Freeze, Gary Pool, and Bill and Angie Hurd.