As eastern Kentucky flood survivors continue their recovery, many help centers are adjusting the services they provide. Appalachian Regional Healthcare is closing its Disaster Relief Center in Hazard and moving on to distribute donations through community partners.
Chris Moeller is the ARH Hazard Disaster Relief Center Manager. He said fewer and fewer people were coming to the center each day.
“Most of the people in the communities have already been able to come through and get what they needed and it’s time for us to move on to the next phase. We’re going to be going ahead and providing things like furniture, things like kitchenware, possibly some winter clothing and coats and things like that,” said Moeller.
Moeller said closing the center is bittersweet because of the connections that were made with the community.
“A lot of people are going to be still working on this for a long time and obviously the memories of what they went through are going to carry over for the rest of their lives. But for myself and the workers that we have here at the ARH Hazard Disaster Relief Center, it’s kind of gratifying knowing that we’re going to be helping people in a new way,” said Moeller.
ARH is still taking donations at the old J.C. Penny in Hazard. Moeller says they accept furniture, kitchen appliances and new winter clothing.
There are smaller ARH distribution sites still open in Letcher County.
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