KWA has been following the ongoing disaster in Eastern Kentucky from historic and sudden flooding in late July. Our hearts go out to all of those that were affected - those that lost loved ones, those that lost homes, those that were sickened by the contaminated waters and the mold that grew, and those suffering from the mental and emotional stress of it all. We have donated to fundraisers, amplified voices from the area in our social media, and we have done one trip to Breathitt County. The photo above shows some of the flooding there.
We are thinking about what else we can do to be helpful. We want to be constructive while also being compassionate. Many of our members and partner organizations are talking about the causes of the flooding. There is good evidence to support the role of climate change, mountaintop removal for coal mining, and lack of infrastructure as contributors to the devastation. KWA will continue to highlight those issues, but right now we are thinking of our fellow Kentuckians and how to support them. When the initial response and recovery efforts are completed, KWA will be working with our partners to be part of the solutions, which are complex and will take time. Here are some things we are considering, based on our mission statement.
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