Photo of Beattyville by Donnie Benton, via WYMT-TV
As hundreds of families remain displaced and impacted by flooding in southern and eastern Kentucky, Operation UNITE has created a simple and reliable way for individuals to be a part of flood relief efforts.
To expedite assistance to counties in need, UNITE has launched a secure Flood Relief Fund on its website, OperationUNITE.org.
The Flood Relief Fund will be used to purchase bottled water, cleaning supplies, and other necessities for Eastern Kentucky counties that have declared a state of emergency. All donations are tax-deductible and 100% of all donations will directly be used to assist our hardest-hit communities.
“Many families, businesses, and even entire communities in UNITE’s 32-county service region have been dramatically impacted because of the historic rains over the past few days,” said Nancy Hale, UNITE President & CEO. “Our staff, UNITE Service Corps Members, and UNITE Community Coalitions are volunteering in numerous ways to help with relief efforts.”
“Because the need is so great,” Hale continued, “UNITE has established a way for individuals to provide cash donations, which will then be used for the most pressing needs.”
Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-5th), who was UNITE’s visionary leader in 2003, is working closely with Operation UNITE to coordinate flood relief efforts across southern and eastern Kentucky.
“In true Eastern Kentucky fashion, our people are stepping up in a big way to help our neighbors who are in desperate need,” Rogers said. “Our region has been suffering for several weeks from damaging ice storms, power outages and historic flooding, and the personal losses in our communities are significant; however, help is on the way.”
“I applaud Operation UNITE for expanding the organization’s reach beyond the scope of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and education to quickly organizing flood relief efforts to help our people once again.”
Click on the button above to donate to Operation UNITE’s Flood Relief Fund. (Note: the donation page will state “General Fund,” but all donations will be used for flood relief.
Operation UNITE used its “On The Move!” education trailer and a cargo trailer to pick up pallets of water, paper towels and cleaning wipes from several locations in Lexington, KY, Wednesday, March 3. These supplies were delivered to Happy Top in Beattyville (Lee County). Pictured above are George Stephens from the Kentucky National Guard, Congressman Hal Rogers’ Field Representative Andrea Begley, and UNITE Youth Programs Coordinator Carl Varney. Below are photos of the supplies, along with Lacey Vanzant, who helped unload the supplies.
