Local businesses and volunteers are doing their part to help those affected by this week’s flooding, with cleanups and fundraisers, while members of county agencies met on Thursday morning to devise a plan of action for recovery.
Grays Harbor County estimated that flooding and mudslides caused roughly $3 million in damage to the Hoquiam/Aberdeen area, said Grays Harbor Community Foundation Executive Director Jim Daly. With families displaced and property damaged, some Harborites are in dire need of assistance.
In an attempt to respond to the need, agencies and businesses around the county are thinking of ways to raise money and provide materials to affected families.
United Way of Grays Harbor has partnered with Great Northwestern Federal Credit Union and Anchor bank to set up a relief fund for flood victims. Monetary donations can be made to either bank and will be used to assist with disaster relief.
The Salvation Army is accepting donations of food and hygiene items, such as blankets and diapers, as a way to help. Andrea Resendez said she has received numerous calls from people looking for a variety of services, from furniture to a place to spend the night.
Resendez says the Salvation Army is doing its best to connect residents with the agencies that provide the services they may need.
“We’ve had a lot of phone calls and understand that a lot of people are still in shock and don’t know where to start,” she said.
Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay said there will be roughly 100 volunteers helping clean up the area around Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shay also said the Hoquiam Food Bank is accepting donations of clothing and bedding to help those affected.
Coastal Harvest, a food distribution warehouse that provides for Southwest Washington, is contacting food banks in Hoquiam and Aberdeen to see where assistance is needed the most and will give excess food where it will be beneficial.
Seventh Day Adventist Food Bank in Hoquiam is usually only open on Thursdays but Community Services Director Bob O’Day said residents in need can call the food bank outside of its normal hours and receive assistance given the flooding.
On Friday at noon, radio station KDUX will go on air on the roof of Aberdeen Honda for 24 hours in an attempt to raise $10,470 for flood victims, which will go the United Way’s relief fund. KDUX will stay on the roof until Saturday at noon or until their goal is reached. Donations can be made during the event at Aberdeen Honda or at any Anchor Bank location by requesting the Untied Way of Grays Harbor Flood Fund. Aberdeen Honda has already given $1,000 to kick off the event.
The Home Depot’s associate-led volunteer force, Team Depot, is coming from all over Washington on Friday to lead a cleanup of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Volunteers are invited to join the effort and can sign up at the service center of the Aberdeen Home Depot.
A meeting of agency leaders from around the county met at the Grays Harbor Community Foundation on Thursday morning to discuss how to adequately assist those who were affected by flooding and mudslides.
One of the biggest concerns among the group was how to help victims deal with their specific needs. Numerous phone calls have come into different agencies asking for assistance, and, at this point, there is no clearinghouse where one can get information on certain agencies and what their duties are.
To remedy this problem, the group decided it would be a good idea to hire a coordinator who fields phone calls and directs residents to an agency that would be best equipped to help them. For example, if someone calls and wonders about finding new housing after the storm, they would be directed to Coastal Community Action Program, which is dealing with relocation, rather than the United Way.
An ad-hoc committee made up of Nora LeBlanc of the United Way, Vera Kalkwarf of Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services, Mike Spezia of Habitat for Humanity, Tracy Wood of the City of Hoquiam, David Murnen of NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor and one representative from Coastal Community Action Program was put together and will meet on Monday.
The committee will focus on disaster relief and how to best serve residents of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. One task for the committee will be figuring out how to distribute money raised for flood relief. The United Way will coordinate with the committee as their fundraising efforts develop.
“We want to get the money out there as quickly as possible,” said Grays Harbor Community Foundation Chairman Tom Quigg.
The Seabrook Community Foundation has committed money to the fund and the Grays Harbor Community Foundation will discuss donating money to the fund tomorrow at its board meeting.
Designing and putting up signs around both Aberdeen and Hoquiam that inform residents where to go for specific services after the flood was one idea also brought up at the meeting. The group discussed seeking state and federal funding for repairs and relief, as well, which will be taken up by the new committee on Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment