IVAN REIGNS - THE STORM’S EFFECTS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE SECOND ONLY TO THE FLOOD OF 1955

Nearly 50 students provided relief to the community when the Delaware River rose more than 30 feet

Although Tropical Storm Ivan wreaked havoc in Easton, a nearly 30-hour power outage over the Sept. 18-19 weekend was its worst impact on campus. All remained safe and food service for students was uninterrupted.

Kate Robbins ’05, executive chair of Lafayette Activities Forum, organized efforts to help the Red Cross provide relief to those affected by the flooding. Nearly 50 students involved in LAF and the Landis Community Outreach Center volunteered, starting immediately after the flooding by distributing information downtown on how residents could obtain food, shelter, clothing, financial guidance, and medications. On the second and third days of volunteering, students went to St. Anthony’s Youth Center in Easton, which served as an emergency Red Cross site and shelter, to distribute toiletries, children’s toys, and items enabling residents to rid their homes of mud and prevent mold growth.

Students collected donations from residence halls and McKelvy House and set up a table at the Homecoming “Block pARTy” where visitors could see pictures of the flooding, sign a banner, write their thoughts about the flooding, and make donations. Local businesses also were asked for donations, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Kappa Delta Rho fraternity held a car wash that netted $400. All told, students raised $1,550 for Red Cross flood relief in Pennsylvania. In addition, they collected donations of food and clothing for the Salvation Army.

“To me, one of the most valuable aspects of this project was the connection made with the Lehigh Valley Red Cross,” says Robbins, who worked with Char Gray, director of the Landis Community Outreach Center, and Stephanie Cote, Landis Center coordinator, in organizing volunteers. “To our knowledge, Lafayette and the American Red Cross have not previously had the opportunity to work together. This experience has not only given our students the opportunity to interact with the Easton community, it has also provided a valuable connection for outreach projects in the future.”