Major fundraising effort launched to help Kentuckians recover from flood
Nine organizations have banded together to set up a major fundraising effort for Kentuckians hurt by the worst flooding in decades.
The Appalachia Rises initiative is the focus of an hour-long telethon airing at 7 p.m. Monday on WKYT and Hazard’s WYMT. The telethon will also be livestreamed on the Appalachia Rises website.
“Soon after rainfall began to slow on March 1, the dramatic need for aid became clear as flood waters wiped out communities through Eastern and Appalachia Kentucky,” the organizations said in a news release Saturday. “Residual effects, including mudslides and infrastructure collapse, have left many residents uprooted and some homeless, with essential businesses closed due to flood damage.”
The fundraiser is spearheaded by AppHarvest, the high-tech produce cultivation company based in Morehead, with help from the Blue Grass Community Foundation, Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, Appalachian Impact Fund, Appalachians for Appalachia, New Frontier Outfitters, WKYT and WYMT.
The Blue Grass Community Foundation and Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky will distribute the money that is raised to “individuals, families, farms and small businesses severely impacted by the historic floods.”
Gerry Roll, executive director of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, said her organization is already making emergency relief grants to individuals and is preparing to offer grants to family farmers and small businesses.
AppHarvest said in a news release Saturday that the devastation from the floods is compounded because “the unemployment rates in several affected counties are among the nation’s highest. Evacuations across the state have also driven thousands to overcrowded and underfunded shelters, while hospitals treat flood-related injuries alongside the ongoing pandemic.”
“Eastern Kentucky is defined by faith and grit,” AppHarvest founder & CEO Jonathan Webb said in the news release. “Our region is home to the hardest working people who have long powered America, and they consistently rise to meet every challenge and move every obstacle created. Seeing how quickly people have banded together to help is a constant reminder why Appalachia is a region unlike any other.”
Donations can be made at AppalachiaRises.org.
Separately, the Christian Appalachian Project said it wants to get the word out to homeowners that it is available to help assess flood damage and make repairs.
The organization said it has command centers at 485 Ponderosa Drive in Paintsville and 495 Williams Street in Mt. Vernon where people can go to request flood assistance between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The organization said Saturday that it was recruiting volunteers and already had crews working in Floyd, Johnson, and Rockcastle counties.
For more information or to help the Christian Appalachian Project, visit ChristianApp.org.
This story was originally published March 6, 2021 at 2:25 PM.
