Aug. 4 Johnson City Press (Tenn.) Neighbors need help

Our neighbors in Appalachia need help.

In the last month, devastating flood waters inundated communities in Southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky, leaving destruction and death behind when they receded.

Hundreds of homes were damaged — some lifted off their foundations and washed downstream — in nearby Virginia, and families are now left sifting through mud and debris trying to piece back together their upended lives. Thankfully, no lives were lost.

Kentuckians fared worse. As of Tuesday, 37 people were dead, but officials expected more.

More than 1,300 people were rescued from their homes by National Guardsmen and emergency responders and thousands of houses and businesses were without power.

Cleanup in both areas could take weeks or months, and many have lost everything.

Seeing our neighbors in such pain and anguish breaks our hearts, as we’re sure it does many of our readers. Some of you may be moved to action to help them.

Volunteering in impacted communities is a direct way to help those in need, but we suggest first finding an organization or agency already providing services in those areas with an open call for aid.

They will be in contact with officials coordinating response efforts and will best know where efforts need to be concentrated to get help to those who need it most.

If you aren’t available to be a pair of boots on the ground, donations of money or supplies can be helpful.

Reputable organizations like the American Red Cross (redcross.org) and Save the Children (savethechildren.org) already have response teams in the area. Your donation to one of them could help with those efforts or provide resources for responses to the next disaster.

East Tennessee State University’s Response website etsu.edu/response lists several others, including the state’s Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund.

Other localized groups, like the Happalachian Social Club — find them on Facebook — are coordinating services, too. Appalshop, an arts, cultural and community center in Whitesburg, Kentucky, has a comprehensive list of flood support resources on its website, appalshop.org.

Appalachians are known for helping neighbors in need. Let’s show them why.