ACB Creates Hurricane Relief Fund

Dear ACB Members and Friends,
 
With Hurricane Irma’s 180-mile-per-hour winds and torrents of rain hitting Florida, Georgia and other locations as yet unknown, and terrible fires clogging the skies with smoke, spreading destruction and ash all across the Northwest, and thousands still experiencing the devastation of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey ⸻ many of them just beginning the exhausting tasks associated with recovery and rebuilding ⸻ disasters are on all of our minds.
 
Over the course of the past weeks, ACB members from all across the country have asked how they could help our fellow blind individuals negatively affected by Hurricane Harvey. Now our concern also extends to those from our community living in the path of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. We initially asked that people wait for more specific guidance once we could make contact with leaders in the ACB of Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico to determine the best way for all of us to assist, and we knew that would be to develop a thoughtful plan that best meets the needs of those impacted in hard-hit communities.
 
Here is the best way for all of you to help! Make a tax-deductible donation to our Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria Relief Fund.
 
We can also accept gift cards from major retailers, such as Target, Walmart, Amazon, Safeway, Publix, Albertsons, or other grocery retailers. These work well because they can easily be shipped and individuals can use them to purchase exactly what they need to support them in rebuilding their lives.
 
Financial contributions to the ACB Disaster Relief Fund may be made at https://donate.acb.org/relief.
 
Please mail checks made payable to the American Council of the Blind to: American Council of the Blind, 6300 Shingle Creek Parkway, Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. Be sure to write in the memo field on your check that your gift is for disaster relief. Gift cards can also be sent to the above address. If you would prefer to make a contribution over the phone, call 1-800-866-3242.
 
Our ACB special-interest affiliate Guide Dog Users, Inc. has a well-established Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program, which supports any member with a working guide dog who needs financial assistance to care for their guide dog during recovery from a catastrophic event such as a hurricane, a fire emergency or other natural disaster. If you would like to make a donation to GDUI, it’s easy and secure to do so online at https://guidedogusersinc.org/donate/.
 
We thank you for your support as we identified the best way to assist members and others in the blindness community in hard-hit areas. Together with our support, hope and love, we can assist those negatively impacted by natural disasters to rebuild their lives.
 
Thank you!
 
Kim Charlson, President
American Council of the Blind