“She said ‘please help the tornado people’,” Soteria Brown, the foundation’s public relations officer, said of the card included with the donation.
The fund was set up to help people recovering from the 15 Memorial Day tornadoes that hit the Dayton area.
Donations have ranged from a $100,000 contribution from a corporation to small gifts from individuals like Marina.
“It basically has been a continued outpouring of generosity from the community,” Brown said. “People just continue to give. We also know that this is a marathon and they are going to keep having to collect money for our neighbors and friends.”
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
Contributions are still being accepted and can be mailed to The Dayton Foundation, 40 N. Main St., Suite 500, Dayton, OH 45423.
A donation also can be made online at daytonfoundation.org.
Those interested in holding fundraisers to go toward the fund are asked to contact Carrie Dalrymple at (937) 225-9952 and visit a page set up for the fund.
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Brown said $410,000 has already been distributed to a list of non-profits that includes Advocates for Basic Legal Equality; Dayton chapter of the Red Cross; Miami Valley Community Action Partnership; the Foodbank of Dayton; The Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services and St. Vincent de Paul.
Brown said the funds are in a charity checking account that the Dayton Foundation hopes to continue long term.
“We are here for the long term, and we want to make sure everyone gets back on their feet,” Brown said.
A formal grant application is being designed. A committee made of Dayton Foundation employees will vet organizations and select recipients.
*** PREVIOUS COVERAGE: (June 13, 2019) Foundation raises more than $500,000 for tornado relief
A fund established to help those recovering from the Memorial Day tornadoes has collected more than $500,000 to date.
The Dayton Foundation says more than $100,000 in grants from the Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund have been awarded to a list of organizations that works directly with those impacted, including The Foodbank and the American Red Cross.
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Another $87,000 has been awarded to the Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc., Miami Valley Community Action Partnership and St. Vincent de Paul “as they are helping individuals with immediate needs, such as housing and legal assistance,” the Dayton Foundation said in a press release.
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More than 2,000 donors have contributed to the fund, including two bands that held benefit shows and set up donation jars and a Boston woman who grew up in Dayton.
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Contributions are still being accepted and can be mailed to The Dayton Foundation, 40 N. Main St., Suite 500, Dayton, OH 45423.
A donation also can be made online at daytonfoundation.org.
Those interested in holding fundraisers to go toward the fund are asked to contact Carrie Dalrymple at (937) 225-9952 and visit a page set up for the fund.
Rob Lowe, an actor raised in Dayton and Oakwood, allowed the Dayton Foundation to collect funds before and after his recent one-man show at the Schuster Center.
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“From organizations holding fundraisers, to individuals walking in off the street to drop off donations, the outpouring of support to GDDRF has been amazing,” said Michael M. Parks, president of The Dayton Foundation. “We only anticipate the needs of those individuals affected by the tornadoes will continue to grow. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and individuals in the community, we will have resources to support nonprofit organizations that are helping those impacted by the tornadoes to get back on their feet not just today, but in the months and years ahead.”
The Dayton Foundation says several significant donations are still pending.
The Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund was designed to allow the Foundation to quickly distribute disaster relief funds to charitable organizations that currently are working to help provide food, clothing and shelter for our friends and neighbors who are affected by these storms.
>> FIRST REPORT (May 29, 2019): Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund established to help those affected by tornadoes
A fund has been established to help those impacted by the Memorial Day tornadoes and storms that ripped through cities in Montgomery, Greene and Mercer counties.
The Dayton Foundation has established the Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund.
The fund is designed to "allow the Foundation to quickly distribute disaster relief funds to charitable organizations that currently are working to help provide food, clothing and shelter for our friends and neighbors who are affected by these storms," a note on the Dayton Foundation website reads.
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Gina Sandoval, the foundation’s marketing and communications officer, said this is the first time that she’s aware of that the 99-year-old foundation has established a fund in response to a local disasters.
The funds creation is a reaction to feedback from the foundation's donors and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, Sandoval said.
“We thought this could provide a place for people to donate money and feel safe (doing so),” she said.
The foundation will evaluate the community needs with key nonprofits, Sandoval said.
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Contributions can be mailed to The Dayton Foundation, 40 N. Main St., Suite 500, Dayton, OH 45423.
A donation can also be made online here.
List “Greater Dayton Disaster Relief" on the check or in the fund name field.
Severe storms and tornadoes hit the Miami Valley Monday night, leaving many in the area without power, access to drinkable water or safe shelter.
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