Crystorama Holds Flood Relief Supply Drive
Westbury, N.Y.-based Crystorama Lighting’s office staff and warehouse team is holding a flood relief supply drive of household items to benefit the victims of the recent catastrophic flooding in Baton Rouge. The cause hits home for Crystorama’s VP/Sales Ryan Ranzino, who was born and raised in Baton Rouge.
Employees donated baby food, canned goods, diapers, children’s toys, bottled water, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies needed by families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the flooding. The supplies are being shipped to the Hebron Baptist Church just outside Baton Rouge, which is housing and assisting local residents displaced by the storm.
“The devastation that occurred in southeastern Louisiana is heartbreaking,” said Brad Kleinberg, President of Crystorama Lighting. “It is estimated that as many as 110,000 homes and 7,000 businesses in the greater Baton Rouge area have been affected. Recognizing the profound need for basic household items that residents have while they recover and rebuild, our employees took the initiative to organize a relief supply drive here at our headquarters to assist in the effort. We are proud to be lending a helping hand.”
The floods that swamped the Baton Rouge region with 15 to 32 inches of rain over a 48-hour period in mid-August killed 13 people and have been described as the worst natural disaster in the U.S. since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, according to The Washington Post. So far, more than 100,000 people in Louisiana have applied for federal assistance and the government has set aside $127 million to help those displaced find temporary housing and pay for home repairs.
In remarks made during his Aug. 23 visit to the region, President Obama emphasized that, in addition to federal help, assistance from private charities, churches and volunteers also will be a critical element in the area’s recovery. “That’s what Americans do in times like this,” he noted.
To make a donation for flood relief efforts in Louisiana, please visit www.braf.org.
