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Emergency Aid Rushed to Vermont to Fill Crucial Health Care Gaps
AmeriCares expanded its Hurricane Irene response with the launch of a $500,000 U.S. Disaster Recovery Initiative to aid survivors of Irene and other recent emergencies, along with new shipment of emergency aid to a clinic in flood-ravaged Vermont.
Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 will be awarded for projects in the health sector in U.S. communities affected by recent natural disasters, with an emphasis on medical and dental care for the uninsured, mental health and psychosocial support services, as well as preparedness for future emergencies. Learn more about the grants program here.
Meanwhile, in response to an urgent request from a clinic in Rutland, Vermont, AmeriCares rushed a shipment of antibiotics and dermatological ointments to help treat a growing number of people suffering from respiratory infections and infected tissue wounds resulting from flood cleanup. Major hurricane-related flooding has devastated areas of Vermont and upstate New York, with rising waters completely cutting off a number of small towns. Otter Creek in Rutland crested at 17.21′ — nine feet above flood stage, causing massive damage to the community.
AmeriCares has also responded with water deliveries to hard-hit communities in Virginia and North Carolina, where the hurricane made landfall on Saturday, August 27. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management contacted AmeriCares to request two truckloads of water for thousands of families in rural communities who, as a result of power outages, could not use electric well pumps to get access to clean water. A total of 64,000 bottles were received by the local food bank in Norfolk on September 2 and delivered to residents. On the same day, another 64,000 bottles of water arrived at a food pantry in North Carolina serving communities still coping with heavy flooding.
AmeriCares aids survivors of natural disasters, political conflict and extreme poverty around the world and across the United States, saving lives and restoring health and hope. In the United States, AmeriCares also provides ongoing aid for more than 300 health clinics serving the poor and uninsured.
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