On Monday, August 8th, pastors and parish life directors from the severely-affected counties gathered to be briefed by FEMA and undertake an initial assessment of the short-term and long-term needs of their communities. The Catholic Diocese of Lexington is working to aid each community with their immediate needs as well as initiate a process for long-term recovery assistance.
 
The diocesan relief effort is being coordinated by the Peace and Justice Office and Catholic Charities, please direct all inquiries to Joshua van Cleef at [email protected] and Meg Campos at [email protected] They will be able to identify where donations may be accepted or delivered, and provide other advice on how to make sure we are working together in a coordinated manner.
 
From this point on, we will use the Diocesan Facebook page to keep everyone informed with the latest news from the affected areas and updated lists of needs and volunteer opportunities. 
 
Thank you very much for helping keep everyone informed. Please continue to pray for those whose lives have been affected by the flooding.
 
Here is a brief list of the latest needs:

 
·      Gift cards, especially Visa or Mastercard – not all areas have the same retail outlets

·      Rubbermaid or other plastic containers, especially in a size suitable for clothes storage

·      Cleaning supplies and toiletries

·      Fans, extension cords, mold control products

·      Brooms, mops/buckets, shovels

·      Camp stoves or other portable cooking devices, lanterns

·      Tents, tarps, sleeping bags