Fund Started to Help Storm Victims

A Lexington-based non-profit organization has started a fund to help storm affected Eastern Kentuckians get started rebuilding their lives once relief workers leave the area. While the cleanup and damage assessments continue in storm-ravaged Eastern Kentucky, a non-profit group in Central Kentucky is starting a fund to help communities rebuild what has been lost.

Allison Lankford is with Lexington-based Blue Grass Community Foundation, which has launched an Eastern Kentucky Tornado Rebuilding Fund.

“We also wanted to create an opportunity for people to look a little bit into the future and ahead as victims begin to rebuild their lives and their towns in the months to come and create a mechanism for individuals who want to help in that process to make a charitable donation.”

Lankford says the fund will help displaced residents with long-term housing needs.

“We will work with local committees to really put the money to the best use.  It could go to rebuilding efforts, just widespread.  There’s quite a bit of flexibility now that these communities have been declared federal disaster areas and so we can really use those charitable dollars to go a long way.”

Lankford says donations are being accepted at www.bgcf.org, or by mail at Bluegrass Community Foundation, 250 West Main, Lexington, KY 40507.