Disaster Relief Efforts Meeting Needs Across Multiple Counties

MARTIN, Ky. – (August 5, 2022) Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Disaster Relief Program is coordinating volunteers and donated goods to assist families in need in Knott, Perry, and Floyd Counties. A command center at Foley Mission Center in Martin, Kentucky is the staging ground for relief efforts by CAP and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as they work to coordinate assistance in Eastern Kentucky.   
 
“This is the most deadly, devasting flooding any of us have seen in our lifetime,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who visited CAP’s Lexington office to thank community volunteers who have been receiving and sorting donations from Fayette County that will be distributed to impacted communities. “The people that are fortunate to still be here have lost everything. It’s our job to pick those folks up, to help them out when something like this happens and get them back on their feet.”  
 
More than 60 volunteers have come to help with disaster relief efforts including volunteers from out-of-state, CAP staff, and within the community. They have already logged more than 1,822 volunteer service hours. Assessments began on Tuesday to determine the specific needs of individual families. CAP started sending out muck out crews on Wednesday to start the cleanup process. So far, 103 assessments have been done and five homes have been mucked out. In addition, FEMA has declared eight counties eligible for the Individual Assistance Program which provides financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by a disaster, who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs.  
 
“CAP is out there, boots on the ground, faith in action, helping people when they need it most,” Beshear added. “But also, not just helping in the days and weeks after, but the months and the years as well.” 
 
Harold Underwood, senior director of volunteers at CAP agreed. “The devastation in our region is incredible. I have responded to many disasters and except for Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I’ve not witnessed this amount of devastation before, but CAP will be there for the long haul.” CAP has already reallocated $500,000 in additional funding to the Disaster Relief and Home Repair Programs, and ongoing fundraising efforts will also help Appalachian families in this critical time.  In addition to those programs, CAP’s Operation Sharing Program has received 20 tractor trailer loads of essential items for disaster relief efforts. As of Thursday, Operation Sharing has distributed $1.15 million worth of gifts-in-kind to people in need in Eastern Kentucky. 
 
WDKY-FOX 56 in Lexington, Kentucky will be airing a special feature tonight at 7:00pm entitled “Tragedy in the Mountains” which will give an insight into the impact caused by the recent catastrophic flooding and ways viewers can assist CAP’s recovery efforts. Additionally, WDKY’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. has enlisted their 200 stations nationwide to support the communities served by CAP.  
 
If you wish to support CAP’s efforts to provide flood relief, please visit our website at christianapp.org/floods22 and follow us on social media for updates about CAP’s response. Disaster Relief will need financial donations and volunteers to meet immediate and long-term needs to help families recovering from flooding.