Coast Guard Foundation provides relief to members impacted by recent hurricanes
by Rus Graham 6 Nov 2018 03:09 PST
A shallow-water response team from Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River conducts wellness checks in Mexico Beach, Florida, Oct. 13 © Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Medley
The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today it has disbursed $220,000 to assist Coast Guard members and their families impacted by the devastation of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, through its Disaster Relief Fund.
In partnership with the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association (CPOA), more than 80 families have been helped to date. Assistance has covered temporary living expenses, household goods and appliances, insurance deductibles and home repairs. Coast Guard members impacted are from the areas impacted the most by the storms – those stationed at the Coast Guard's Special Missions Training Center at Camp Lejune in North Carolina and those stationed in Panama City, Florida. In addition, the organization is anticipating a need for assistance of Coast Guard members and their families on the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory of 52,000 inhabitants.
"The men and women of the Coast Guard are unique in government agencies in that they are not only called upon to help those in need in times of devastation, but their families may also be among those effected by natural disasters," said Susan Ludwig, president, Coast Guard Foundation. "We can think of no better way to help these dedicated professionals focus on the task at hand, than by assisting their families at home. We are grateful to those donors who have made this support possible."
The Coast Guard Foundation has mobilized its supporter base to assist Coast Guard members and families impacted by natural disasters since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Most recently, the Foundation raised $1 million to support Coast Guard members impacted in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico following the 2017 hurricane season, and those affected by the wildfires and mudslides in California.
For more information on the Coast Guard efforts following Hurricane Florence, visit: coastguardfoundation.org/news/hurricane-florence-coast-guard-families-need-us.
To support the Disaster Relief and Response Fund, and relief efforts, please visit: www.coastguardfoundation.org/disaster-response.
To learn more about the Coast Guard Foundation, or to help support its work, please visit www.coastguardfoundation.org or call (860) 535-0786.