Disaster Relief Board Seeking Donations For Local Families

Uniontown, PA- The Fayette County Disaster Relief Fund Board is seeking monetary donations to help families affected by recent severe flooding.

Fayette County Emergency Management Agency Director Roy Shipley said approximately 30 families currently need assistance, but that number could increase as cleanup efforts remain under way and rainy days continue.

"The biggest area hit was Brownsville, but we've got families in Uniontown, Belle Vernon and even Franklin Township who were hit hard," Shipley said. "We have a disaster fund in place, but funding is limited at this point. We've worked with Catholic Charities and the American Red Cross to see how we can help those people affected, because it's not a declared disaster, but once we exhaust all funding avenues, we go back to this as a last resort."

Shipley, Fayette County Community Action Agency Director of Operations Rita Masi and Fayette County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (V.O.A.D.) Chairman Greg Crossley issued the call to action to help families replace furnaces, hot water tanks and other major appliances, as well as repair damaged infrastructure.

"It's important because these donations will be helping our friends and neighbors right here in Fayette County. The money will stay local, and we already have set procedures in place to vet the recipients and make sure this money is being used the best way possible," Shipley said. "We'll keep accepting donations until we either help everyone or exhaust the funding, but we hope we can help them all before that runs out."

Masi said the fund, which was established following the 2018 tornado that caused extensive damage in the City of Uniontown, using funds left from the disastrous 2016 flood in the City of Connellsville and Bullskin Township, has not needed replenished for several years.

"We haven't had to ask for money like this since the tornado, but we hope everyone will donate to the cause, because it will be used beyond this," she said. "This is a fund created to help everyone in emergency situations."

Monetary donations can be mailed or hand-delivered to Fayette County Community Action Agency, 108 North Beeson Ave., Uniontown, PA 15401. Cash or checks will be accepted. Please write "Disaster Fund" on the check memo line.

"This fund doesn't have to be for a community-wide emergency. It can help one household at a time," Shipley said. "We hope our citizens will donate because it might be these communities this week, but it could be any of our other communities next week, and we want to help everyone however we can."

For more information, call Masi at 724-430-3025. To learn more about Fayette County Community Action Agency, visit www.fccaa.org.

To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.

Editor's Note: Image attached (Disaster Relief Call to Action Graphic)

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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.

For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, [email protected] or Kaylie Glaze, Community Relations Coordinator, at 724-430-1200 Ext. 1611, [email protected].