Berea College pledges $1 million to Eastern Kentucky flood relief: ‘We want to pitch in’
Berea College will donate more than $1 million to flood relief in Eastern Kentucky, the school announced Tuesday.
Funds will go toward three different areas: a donation to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky to assist with urgent needs; donations to school systems in the impacted areas; and a donation to the Mountain Association to assist businesses in rebuilding.
Record flash flooding hit Eastern Kentucky last month, with 39 deaths linked to the flooding. More than 1,600 homes were reported as destroyed or “majorly damaged” by flooding, according to Kentucky Emergency Management.
In an interview with the Herald-Leader, Berea College President Lyle Roelofs said this donation is because of the college’s dedication and relationship to Appalachia.
“We want to pitch in where we can,” Roelofs said.
The college has eight Great Commitments, which are used to guide the university. The eighth commitment is “to engage Appalachian communities, families and students in partnership for mutual learning, growth and service,” according to the college’s website.
“We have a special relationship with Eastern Kentucky,” Roelofs said. “For a long time, we have regarded that part of the country, and they have regarded us, as a key resource for young people growing up in the area.”
The $1 million is coming from Berea College’s reserve funds. Roelofs said that while the money is significant, he feels that the region has long been supportive of the college, and if the college were to ever need something, the region would act similarly.
“The amount of money we’re prepared to put out there is a significant fraction (of the reserve funds),” Roelofs said. “It’s not like it’s negligible. But we also have the confidence that if the situation were ever reversed, that there would be organizations that would be standing ready to help us.”
When looking at need in the aftermath of the flooding, Roelofs said the college relied on their relationships in the area and worked with existing non-profits in Eastern Kentucky.
Funds to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky will go toward addressing urgent needs as people continue to assess damage in the area. The organization has been vetting requests, and Roelofs said he believes the donation to the foundation will be “well and fairly spent.”
Berea College also has strong relationships with K-12 schools in the region, which is why it will work directly with school systems in the area to help wherever needed, Roelofs said. Funds could be used for a variety of needs within the school system, from assisting teachers with classroom needs to making sure sports teams have uniforms and equipment.
School systems will be eligible for donations of up to $50,000 each, according to the college.
Lastly, part of the donation will go toward helping businesses in the area through a donation to the Mountain Association. Beyond businesses that were damaged in the floods, there are also businesses that are unable to operate at full capacity right now, Roelofs said. This donation will help make sure that businesses “won’t be further behind” once they are able to reopen, he said.
Some employees were impacted by flooding
Several Berea students and employees were impacted by the floods, including four employees’ families who lost everything. A special donation fund has been set up to support those families.
Berea is giving its employees two extra vacation days through September to be used for volunteering in counties affected by the flooding. Additionally, several groups on campus are organizing volunteering opportunities for students who wish to help with recovery efforts.
“We’ve had really quite a large number of people, and oftentimes people with special skills, going to places and that’s been helpful in particular communities,” Roelofs said.
The department of computer science has a program that regularly donated refurbished laptops to organizations. The latest donation of laptops will go to schools that were impacted by the flooding.
“We’re thinking in terms of easing the recovery for organizations and individuals, if we can make a difference,” Roelofs said.
In addition to helping a region that Berea College is connected to, Roelofs said he also views this as an investment in students and in the educational health of the region. Whether they end up attending Berea or another institution, Roelofs said the college is committed to making sure those students are prepared for their education, despite the flooding.
“We realize that because we have this relationship to the area, the health of the area is significant to us, too,” Roelofs said. “That’s where some students are coming from, and if there’s a period of time, a year or two where the schools aren’t functioning, then that whole cohort of students will be hindered from achieving educational opportunities, not only at Berea, but wherever else they would go.”