Submitted by United Way of Thurston County
It is in times of need that we discover the full impact of a community united. Today, United Way of Thurston County (UWTC) is mobilizing the caring power of people in Thurston County by activating its Emergency Assistance Fund, a community-wide effort to provide rapid financial assistance to families and individuals affected by the Nisqually River flood.
“This is a rapidly developing event. We have teams assessing the impacted areas and will have more details in the coming days. Right now, we are aware of at least several dozen homes that have sustained major damage, and more that are still inaccessible. Shelter for displaced families and individuals is the highest priority, and we are working on coordinating disaster cleanup efforts and replacement of critical household items,” said Sandy Eccker, Manager at Thurston County Emergency Management.
“United Way of Thurston County is prepared to respond to this emergency by working to quickly mobilize local resources to assist Thurston County residents who have been directly impacted by the flooding,” said UWTC’s executive director, Chris Wells. “At this time, funds for emergency housing are available for displaced families and individuals impacted by this crisis.”
Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties (CAC) is partnering with United Way and will manage the distribution of the Emergency Assistance Fund. Residents who have been displaced from their homes can receive emergency shelter assistance by calling the CAC at 360-438-1100 or 1-800-878-5235. CAC hours are Monday – Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
United Way is accepting donations to the Emergency Assistance Fund. Donations can be made online. 100 percent of donations made to United Way of Thurston County’s Emergency Assistance Fund will be used to provide rapid financial assistance to those impacted by the current crisis. Any remaining funds will be held to address future local emergencies.
Individual and corporate gifts can also be made in person or by mail at United Way of Thurston County, located at 3525 7th Ave SW Suite 201, Olympia, WA 98502.
