Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
After Hurricane Harvey brought Category 4 winds to bear down on Texas’ coastline late last month, members of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough announced the creation of a relief fund for those in need.
Utilizing a specially made page on a charity crowdfunding service called “youcaring,” the local organization is hoping to raise funds to help provide displaced families with a chance to return to normalcy.
“We will focus our support on the recovery phase, while the Red Cross and other first responders take care of the immediate needs of the community,” Anthony Franchini, president of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough said.
According to Franchini, the Rotary Club will match community donations up to a total of $2,500.
At the end of the donation drive, the rotary will use the money to purchase gift cards to major retailers such as Lowes, Walmart and Kohls.
The Rotary Club of Hillsborough will work with fellow Rotary Clubs and others in the affected areas of Texas and Louisiana to distribute the gift cards directly to those families in need.
Since it made landfall in Texas on August 25, Hurricane Harvey has been cited as a record-breaking weather phenomenon that has displaced tens of thousands of people from the coastal areas of the “Lone Star State.”
On the evening that the storm made landfall, gusts reached upwards of 130 mph. For days after the storm hit land, sustained rainfall dumped approximately 50 inches of water on the affected area, which included Houston, Rockport and Corpus Christi. This combination of initial wind damage in some areas and sustained rainfall lead experts to believe Hurricane Harvey to be the United States’ costliest storm in terms of damage.
So far, nearly 70 people have been confirmed dead as a result of Hurricane Harvey.
Since it is anticipated that thousands of families whose homes and belongings were lost to the storm will need to replace clothing and other essentials, Rotary Club of Hillsborough officials are urging everyone to chip in.
“As a community, we can offer our support in many ways,” Franchini said. “Our ‘youcaring’ page, Rotary Club of Hillsborough Hurricane Relief Fund, allows anyone wishing to make a donation to double its impact, enabling us to make a difference for many families who have lost so much.”
For more information on the collection effort, visit either hillsborougnjrotary.com, facebook.com/rotaryclubofhillsboroughnj, or tinyurl.com/RotaryHarvey.
