More than two months after Hurricane Harvey touched down in Texas, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation hopes people will not forget that families there still need help rebuilding.
The organization has been sending both supplies and volunteers to Texas since shortly after the hurricane hit and will continue its relief efforts this month with a toy drive. Toy donations will be collected in both the Danbury area and New York on Nov. 29. Chief Operating Officer John Hodge said the idea is to help families celebrate the holidays even if they are overwhelmed after the hurricane. He added that because 80 percent of the homes hit did not have flood insurance there is still a lot to be done.
“The reality is those homes are not going to be rebuilt or repaired any time soon so we think the kids are probably facing a pretty bleak Christmas already,” Hodge said. “We want to try to bring them a little bit of joy for the holidays.”
The organization is working to set up about five toy-drive collection spots in the Danbury area as they did for an initial hurricane relief drive in September, which brought in more than triple what the foundation expected in donations.
Tunnel to Towers plans toy drive for children impacted by Harvey – NewsTimes
But Hodge said exact locations haven’t been secured yet and that anyone willing to volunteer a drop-off spot should contact the Tunnel to Towers foundation.
A group of New York City firefighters will then bring the toys down to Beaumont and Orange, Texas, where the organization has been helping residents.
Other New York firefighters had volunteered in September in the two towns to help clean up and begin repairs on houses that were affected. The organization is also facilitating deliveries of mattresses and sheet rock to the communities.
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