Charter One Bank to offer relief of Northeast Ohio flooding
$40,000 in disaster aid offered for victims of flooding and for flood prevention in parksCLEVELAND (August 1, 2006) - In an effort to provide some local respite from the damage created by heavy rainfall this summer, Charter One Bank is offering financial assistance to Ohio Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) that will aid Northeast Ohio families impacted by flooding and to Cuyahoga Valley National Park to improve sections of the recently re-opened Towpath Trail that are frequently damaged by floods to help prevent future closures.
The Charter One Foundation is donating $20,000 to Ohio VOAD to assist Lake County residents affected by last week’s heavy rains and residents in Cuyahoga, Stark and Summit counties impacted by June’s severe rainfall. Ohio VOAD coordinates the planning efforts of many voluntary organizations responding to disasters and is able to assist residents located in a federally-declared emergency area as well as those living in counties that were not declared an emergency.
All impacted residents must first contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 1-800-621-FEMA. Residents in need of further long-term recovery assistance can then call Ohio VOAD at 740-732-6700 to apply or obtain more information.
“Ohio VOAD conducts a case management assessment and develops a disaster recovery plan for each resident. A long-term recovery committee determines the level of assistance for qualified residents on a case-by-case basis,” said Mary Woodward, Vice President of Ohio VOAD.
“Charter One Bank was the first corporate organization to come forward to offer financial assistance. We are grateful that the Bank came to us looking for a way to help people get back on their feet,” Woodward said.
Donald Evanoff of North Royalton is one resident who will receive assistance from Charter One through Ohio VOAD. Evanoff’s insurance did not cover the damage to his home, and he has not yet received assistance from the federal government.
“My 3-year-old son and I lost everything due to heavy rains that flooded our home,” Evanoff said. “I’ve lived out of my car or with family and friends for the past six weeks. I am not only devastated with the loss of the material items I’ve accumulated throughout my lifetime, but also the loss of my independence and stability. I am grateful to Charter One Bank for allowing my son and me to begin rebuilding our lives and our home together.”
“Charter One is pleased to offer support to residents whose lives have been turned upside down by the flooding, especially those who do not have flood insurance or do not reside in a federally-declared disaster area,” said Ned Handy, president and CEO of Charter One Bank, Ohio. "We also recognize what tremendous assets the Park system and Towpath Trail are to the regional economy. We are pleased to help the National Park Service at Cuyahoga Valley National Park proactively identify methods to prevent future flood damage on the Towpath Trail in order to keep it in operation all year long for bicyclists, pedestrians and nature enthusiasts.”
Charter One is presenting the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association with a $20,000 grant to make improvements to the park’s most popular attraction, the Towpath Trail, a 20-mile recreational trail that runs in the national park from Independence to Akron. Heavy rains in late June caused significant damage along the trail, closing a nine-mile stretch from Rockside Road in Cuyahoga County to the Red Lock Trailhead near Highland Road in Summit County. The funds will be used to take preventative measures on portions of the trail frequently damaged by past flooding.
John P. Debo, Jr., Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, said: “The ability to study specific areas along the Towpath Trail that are susceptible to heavy rainfall and consistently suffer from flood damage will prove invaluable to the national park. Charter One’s donation will give us critical support in maintaining the Towpath Trail and keeping it open for its nearly two million visitors.”
Cuyahoga Valley National Park officials announced that the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will also reopen their regular excursions from Rockside Station on August 9. The Valley Railway was closed between the Rockside Station and Brecksville Station due to damage from the flood.
About Charter One Bank, N.A.
Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $41 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has 480 branches and more than 800 ATMs. It has 166 branches and 210 ATMs in Ohio. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $155 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,700 ATMs and more than 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits as of September 30, 2005. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
|