Hurricane relief underway.
The SECU Foundation in Raleigh, N.C. said Tuesday it made a $1 million grant to a local food bank that will assist victims in the counties devastated by Hurricane Florence.
This grant will go to Feeding the Carolinas, formerly the NC Association of Feeding America Food Bank, which will support the local food banks that directly serve residents in areas where emergency assistance and supplies are most needed for water, food, cleaning supplies and other essentials.
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"Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina with a vengeance and its impact will be long-lasting, especially in our southeastern coastal cities and inland towns," Cynthia Jolly, SECU Foundation board chair, said. "Many of our friends, families, and neighbors had to leave their homes and seek shelter just two years after the tremendous flooding and damage in our state from Hurricane Matthew. We know that food and supplies are needed quickly, which is why SECU Foundation has reacted immediately with funding to assist Feeding the Carolinas with delivering essential items to those hard-hit areas."
The storm, which has claimed the lives of more than 30 people, has left behind extensive flooding that has not yet receded and has 16 rivers across the state at major flood level. The floodwaters also have closed more than 1,000 roads and more than 300,000 residents are without power, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper reported Tuesday afternoon.
The storm also reportedly damaged tens of thousands of homes. More than 15,000 people have sought refuge in 144 shelters across the state.
While the weather has improved across much of the state, the risk of stray showers and storms remain, which can result in floodwaters continuing to rise above current levels, the governor said Tuesday.
"There are many challenges ahead for our fellow citizens and our members and we are here to help," Mike Lord, President/ CEO of the $38 billion State Employees' Credit Union in Raleigh, said. "The SECU Foundation grant to Feeding the Carolinas is an excellent way to provide support, and we encourage other organizations to help as well. The needs are significant and will be for quite some time."
While many credit unions in North and South Carolina reopened their branches on Monday, some have had to keep their branches closed because of extensive flooding and power outages. For example, SECU still had 18 branches closed as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Carolinas Foundation of the Carolinas Credit Union League said it is prepared to disburse aid to disaster-stricken credit union employees and volunteers through its disaster relief grant application process. Applications must be saved to a device, completed, signed, and emailed to CCUF President Lauren Whaley.
The Carolinas Foundation also is ready to receive contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund, which since its establishment has provided more than $2 million in aid to the local, national, and international credit union communities. Any donation collected is disbursed dollar-for-dollar to aid in disaster recovery.
In response to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's request, President Donald Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the state of South Carolina and approved federal reimbursement through FEMA for costs associated with emergency, life-safety actions during Hurricane Florence.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Program helps reimburse local governments, state agencies, eligible private non-profit organizations and electric co-operatives for some expenses incurred related to emergency protective measures.
Counties included in the disaster declaration are Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg.
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
