CIEDC Mobilizes to Support Hurricane Areas          

[SEPT. 13, 2005]  LINCOLN -- CIEDC announced it is participating with all Illinois Community Action Agencies (CAA’s) in a statewide fundraising effort to support hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  The statewide effort is being coordinated by the Illinois Community Action Association (ICAA).  Illinois CAA’s have set a goal of $100,000 for the fundraising effort.  The proceeds will be distributed through the national CAA network to local Community Action Agencies in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

In support of that goal, the Executive Director, Angela Stoltzenburg, announced today that CIEDC will match employee donations from its corporate funds for the effort.

The local effort will continue until Friday September, 16th, 2005. At that point the resources will be forwarded to the relief efforts that are likely to continue in the effected area for several months.

Angela Stoltzenburg said, “We are a part of a national network of Community Action Agencies that provide vital services to low-income people in all areas of the United States. Our sister organizations in the effected hurricane area are frantically mobilizing to save lives, recruit volunteers and provide emergency services. We are going to do everything humanly possible to support that effort.”
Dalitso Sulamoyo, President and CEO of the ICAA said, “We have debated the issues and decided that the most urgent need is for immediate monetary support. For now we are sending cash that can be used to meet the emergency needs of the human beings affected by this disaster.”

Sulamoyo went on to say that Community Action Agencies in Illinois including CIEDC are networking with state government in Illinois to meet the interim and long-term needs of hurricane evacuees that are likely to come to Illinois. He said, “We are networking with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide for the needs of an expected 10,000 evacuees that have already started to arrive in Illinois”.

Local residents who wish to support this direct service effort are encouraged to contact CIEDC at 217-732-2159. Checks should be made payable to CIEDC Hurricane Relief.
 

[News release]

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