The local council of St. Vincent de Paul has received a $1.7M grant to provide “House in a Box” for 500 tornado survivor families in western Kentucky. The House in a Box Program, handled by St. Vincent’s Disaster Services Corporation, provides new furniture and furnishings to families severely impacted by natural disasters.
According to the St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) USA website, the goal of the program “is to provide new household items for families who have lost everything as a result of natural disasters and who are forced into situational poverty. The House in a Box gives dignity to families in crisis as it gives them a new start and fresh start. All families receive the same new items which are packaged for efficiency of delivery. The program is scalable to the size of the family and starts at $3,200 for a family of four.”
Richard Remp-Morris says, CEO/Executive Director for Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Diocesan Council of Western Kentucky, said the grant came from the American Red Cross.
“The grant will have a lasting impact here in western Kentucky for years to come,” he said. “We are privileged to serve tornado survivor families as they begin to rebuild their lives.”
SVDP Disaster Services Corporation CEO Elizabeth Disco-Shearer said they were honored to partner with the Western Kentucky Council and the American Red Cross.
“Disasters create chaos and major financial hardships in the lives of so many survivors,” she said. “House in a Box provides the hope of a fresh start and a return to normalcy for households that have fallen into situational poverty due to disasters.”
Additionally, the Diocesan Council of Western Kentucky has acquired an 8,000 square foot facility to use as a storage area for the furnishings and household items provided at no cost to tornado survivor families.
Diocesan Council of Western Kentucky President Nancy Harris said the funding represents the largest grant in the Council’s history.
“It would not be possible without the tremendous support from Disaster Services Corporation, Catholic Charities – Diocese of Owensboro, long-term recovery groups, and affiliated faith-based disaster response organizations,” she said.
St. Vincent de Paul has ordered the first 50 House in a Box units. To learn how you can support the programs of St. Vincent de Paul, visit svdpwky.org or contact Remp-Morris at 207-315-5747.
