United Way seeks $100,000 for Hurricane Harvey victims
Photo by Todd Luck
The United Way of Forsyth is hoping to raise $100,000 to help those devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
The local United Way has already pledged to donate $100,000 out of its emergency fund to the hurricane relief efforts. The nonprofit hopes the public will step up to match that generosity by donating at crowdrise.com (search for “Forsyth 4 Houston”). The potential $200,000 will be split between United Way of Greater Houston and the American Red Cross.
Harvey made landfall on Aug. 25 with an unprecedented 50 inches of rain dumping 27 trillion gallons of water on Texas and Louisiana, causing catastrophic flooding.
“It compels us to want to do something to help,” said Cindy Gordineer, United Way Forsyth County president and CEO, at a press conference announcing the campiagn last week.
At least 47 people died from the storm and more than 72,000 people have been rescued. In Harris County, which contains Houston, 136,000 structures were flooded. John Hughes, executive director of the Piedmont Triad Red Cross, said the storm was “nothing like any of us have seen or experienced in our lifetime.”
“People’s lives have been impacted by the disaster,” he said “It will continue for many years to come.”
The Red Cross was on the ground in Texas a week before the storm hit to set up shelters. Aside from shelter, the Red Cross also provides food, necessities, medical needs and counseling to those displaced by the hurricane, many of whom have nothing more than the wet clothes on their backs. The local Red Cross’ Emergency Response Vehicle is in the area delivering food. More than a dozen Red Cross volunteers from the Triad participated in hurricane relief.
The United Way will work on longterm recovery, helping people rebuild their homes that have been ruined or destroyed by the hurricane and the flooding.
To show their support, Mayor Allen Joines and County Commissioner Chair Dave Plyler attended last week’s announcement and encouraged their constituents to give.
“I urge our citizens in the greater Winston-Salem area to step up and help us reach that $200,000 goal and really show that we are a compassionate city,” said Joines.
Plyler said even though there’s deep divisions in the nation, this is one cause that everyone can get behind.
“Even though we argue and fight like most families do … when trouble comes, we come together and trouble is in Houston, it’s in Texas,” said Plyler.
The fundraiser will run through Sept. 21.
