By Staff
August 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Mayor Rick Goldring said the local Disaster Relief Fund had reached $100,000 – not there yet Your Worship.
The fund sits at $92,398 at the end of the first week.
We have a long way to go folks.
Some homes had two levels flooded – the Mayor’s home had eight feet of water.
There is provincial money out there for us – but those provincial dollars are matched on a two for one basis – for every dollar we raise the province will add $2.
With those matching funds we would have just over a quarter of a million in the bank – but given that there are 1052 homes seriously damaged with most of them having limited insurance coverage – the need is great.
There are some homes in the south east part of the city where they either do not have or are not going to be able to get insurance because of the number of floods they have experienced.
There are clearly a number of serious problems with the way pipes are laid out in that part of the city – and getting the Region to actually do something looks as if it is going to be a marathon of protesting and demanding that they step up and do the job they are in place to do.
But this is not the time to bash the Region – this is the time to look at the private individuals and the large and small business operations in the city and ask them to pull out the cheque books – pause before they write in the total and figure out what they can handle – and they add a bit more.
The need for some is dire.
Try the math on this. Take those 1052 homes – and divide it into the $276,000 we would have to disburse given where we are with the amount that has been donated. It amounts to a measly $262 per household.
This isn’t good enough people. There are people hurting and they need your help. The downpour of rain was unique in many ways – the city has never had so much in such a short period of time – and the rain cloud seemed to hover over a part of the city. Streets blocks away didn’t get a drop.
We know that global warming has something to do with the changes in weather; we know that we are going to see more of this kind of thing – and we also know that the need is big – really big.
Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon put it very well, when she addressed her remarks to the commercial community. “These are your customers, these are the people who make this city what it is – and today they need your help.”
Dig in and dig as deep as you can – please.
The Burlington United Way is serving as the banker for the Disaster Relief Fund. They are collecting the funds and will turn it over to the local Disaster Relief Committee as soon as it has been formed.
Make your on line donation – or drop by the Burlington United Way office at 3425 Harvester Road, Unit 107
