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During the past few days, many of us have watched the news coverage of the devastation that Hurricane Harvey has wreaked upon Houston and southeast Texas. Our thoughts have been with those impacted by the unprecedented rains and catastrophic flooding as well as the rescue workers who have saved so many lives.
The Lycoming student body includes a significant number of students from Houston and the surrounding region whose families and friends have been impacted by the hurricane. Student Life, faculty and other college employees have reached out to them offering support. In addition, the College’s advancement and alumni staff have been in touch with many alumni and other friends who live in the region.
During the coming days, the focus in southeastern Texas will shift from rescue to the enormous effort that will be required over a long period of time to provide relief and rebuild the lives of those who have been impacted. As that happens, many of us will want to know what we can do to help. To that end, we have reached out to some of the school systems that our students attended.
We have learned that the YES PREP system and KIPP school systems have established funds to provide direct assistance to families.
A donation to the YES PREP fund can be made by visiting this link and typing “Flood Relief” in the comments section.
Gifts to the KIPP fund can be made by visiting this link and selecting “Family Emergency Fund” from the drop down menu.
For other effective ways of supporting the relief efforts, I encourage you to consult the advice offered by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
I encourage all of us to find our own way of supporting our community members impacted by this natural disaster whether that be by offering a word of support or making a donation.
Kent C. Trachte, Ph.D., is the 15th president of Lycoming College.