(OSV News) — Days after Hurricane Helen and as Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida, Catholic Charities USA has launched a dedicated disaster relief donation campaign.
CCUSA, the official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church and a member of Caritas International, the Church’s global network of humanitarian aid, said the Category 4 Milton was circling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. The fund was announced on May 9th. Maximum sustained wind speed is 130 mph. Milton fluctuated in intensity, twice being classified as Category 5, but was downgraded to Category 4 at noon on October 9th.
Donations to the CCUSA Relief Fund can be made through the CCUSA website at ccusa.online/milton. Text MILTON to 20406. Alternatively, you may mail a check to CCUSA, 2050 Ballenger Ave, Suite 400, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314. Information about other ways to donate is available by contacting CCUSA at (800) 919-9338 or donations@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast around the evening of October 9th. With storm surge expected to reach 15 feet, the storm could bring record levels of destruction, especially as the region struggles to recover from Hurricane Helen, which killed at least 227 people in six states in September. There is sex.
President Joe Biden approved a request for a federal emergency declaration from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Seminole Tribal Chairman Marcellus W. Osceola Jr. due to the expected impact of the hurricane. canceled visits to Germany and Angola. After the press conference, Biden said Milton was “like the storm of the century” and urged residents to evacuate, calling it “literally a matter of life and death.”
CCUSA said in an Oct. 9 announcement that “100 percent of all funds raised will be allocated to local Catholic Charities to provide shelter, food, and other humanitarian aid to displaced and suffering communities. “We will provide significant relief, including.” ”
“Hurricane Milton has created life-threatening conditions for communities across Florida, some of which are still affected by Hurricane Helen,” said Kelly Alice Robinson, president and CEO of CCUSA. “Our brothers and sisters urgently need prayers and support as some communities continue to suffer.”
CCUSA has so far donated more than $1.9 million to Catholic Charities in states affected by Hurricane Helen, and the organization said it will “support these communities through long-term recovery.” .
The agency said it responds to more than 60 disasters each year, ranging from hurricanes and tornadoes to fires and floods.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her at X (formerly Twitter) @GinaJesseReina.
