Hurricane Ida’s Impact On The Coatesville Community

In early September, Hurricane Ida displaced 40 families in the Coatesville community, while many more families and individuals were impacted by flood waters. Emergency crews worked tirelessly throughout the night in an effort to rescue people from cars and homes. Others were forced to evacuate, seeking refuge at emergency shelters set up in our local schools. In the devastating aftermath, as the water began to recede, a single red umbrella was pulled from the street. This tattered and torn umbrella became a symbol of hope and restoration for the residents in the hardest hit sections of the city, and inspired the launch of the Red Umbrella Response Fund. To learn more about Hurricane Ida’s impact on the Coatesville community, and how the The Red Umbrella Response Fund is helping with flood relief and mental health initiatives, please read on.

Response To The Hurricane With The Red Umbrella Fund

The Red Umbrella Response Fund is a collective effort between Brandywine Valley Active Aging and other nonprofit, for-profit, and faith-based partners, local city government, and The Alliance for Health Equity. Our goal is to offer disaster relief and funds to assist the short-term and long-term needs of Coatesville residents impacted by flood waters left behind by Hurricane Ida, such as securing safe, immediate housing, and meeting urgent basic needs. The Red Umbrella Response Fund will also serve as a fundraising platform for future natural disasters.

Thanks to generous donations thus far, we have:

• Assisted 100 families through the Red Umbrella Response Initiative.
• Created 100 personal care packages that will be distributed to families.
• Prepared 850 healthy meals for distribution to members of the community in need.
• Raised over $45,000 dollars, which The Alliance for Health Equity will match dollar-for-dollar.

Our hope is to raise $100,000 this fall for flood relief in the City of Coatesville, but we cannot do it without your support. Donations for the The Red Umbrella Response Fund are desperately and urgently needed, and they are also greatly appreciated. Please contact Jen Manthey at Jen@Bvactiveaging.org or Kimberly Daye-Hardy at Kdayehardy@alliancehealthequity.org for more information, or visit our website to learn how you can help. To donate online now, click here.

The Alliance for Health Equity is a philanthropic organization striving to advance a more equitable, resilient and healthy community for all residents of the Greater Coatesville area. We pursue our mission by providing grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students that address health and economic disparities and social justice. We also build partnership programs and give voice to those often left out of community solution building to improve the overall health of their communities. 100% of contributions go directly to those in need.