Submitted by brittany.conley
on Wed, 06/30/2021
Through the generous support of donors like you, CAP stepped up to help neighbors in need as they dealt with the aftermath of historic floods that came on the heels of damaging ice storms last winter.
“Staff and volunteers partnered with the community to set up a warming shelter after the ice storm hit the area and were in the process of cleaning up debris when the floods happened,” said Robyn Renner, CAP’s director of Disaster Relief. “The community was trying to recover from the first storm, but we had to transition to address the impact of the floods. Our program has learned to be flexible in order to meet the needs of the community as they arise.”
Because of your thoughtful gifts, Disaster Relief operated two command centers to handle requests for flood assistance and worked with local emergency management staff to continue coordinating assessments and cleanups. One hundred employees, volunteers, and community members worked 2,534 hours to help remove mud and floodwaters from inside homes. They also removed wet flooring, drywall, and insulation to let everything dry out before black mold set in.
During the two weeks following the floods, CAP’s Operation Sharing Program delivered 20 semi truckloads of supplies to families impacted by the natural disaster.
“We will do whatever we can to help. These are our neighbors. We plan to stay committed to all affected counties as long as we are needed,” said Aaron Thoms, manager of the Operation Sharing warehouse in Paintsville.
Your generosity helped provide critically needed items, such as nonperishable food, cleaning supplies, diapers, toiletries, trash bags, and personal protective equipment.
“We are all in this together. We need a lot of essentials, like toilet paper and cleaning supplies, but what we need the most is hope,” Herald said. “If you are looking for stories of devastation, pain, loss, and homelessness, you will find that. But we have seen God’s divine intervention too. It is such a large area that has been impacted, and everyone needs help, but we also need hope to believe everything is going to be okay.” Thank you for taking care of people in Appalachia and giving them the hope they need during this challenging time.
