Stories
Editorial: Spread the word about Frankfort/Franklin County Flood Relief Fund
While the Kentucky River has flowed back into its banks and its mud has been scrubbed from the streets it inundated earlier this month, the hard work of cleaning out and, in some cases, rebuilding remains before us. One of the biggest needs right now is funding, which is why the Franklin County Community Fund created the Frankfort/Franklin County Flood Relief Fund.
Earlier this week, Mayor Layne Wilkerson and Judge-Executive Michael Mueller announced that the fund had eclipsed the $100,000 mark. And while that is great news, it is merely a drop in the bucket compared to what will be needed to put the pieces of our city and county back together again, which is why we encourage our readers to share the website for the flood relief fund via word of mouth and social media.
Online donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/franklincountyflood All contributions to the fund will be distributed through vetted community nonprofit organizations to those affected by the historic flood.
“We’re getting a lot of attention statewide, even nationally and I think we need to capture that right now while can because we need to bank some of this money while the nation is focused on us so that we can help our friends and neighbors in the days and weeks ahead,” the mayor explained last week.
In its commitment to full transparency, the Franklin County Community Fund intends to share regular updates on how the funding is being used to support those affected by the flood.
City and county officials started working on a process for fund distribution this week. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, based on the recommendations of a local committee with firsthand knowledge and expertise of the needs and the local organizations best positioned to quickly respond.
The first round of grants are expected to be handed out next week with additional grants awarded on a weekly basis until all funding is exhausted.
The needs of our community are great and recovery will be long road for the hundreds who have been affected. While there are plenty of organizations collecting monetary donations for flood victims, those who contribute to the Frankfort/Franklin County Flood Relief Fund can rest assured that their donation will go toward helping a neighbor in their time of need.
*Story originally published in the Kentucky State Journal by the KSJ Editorial Board, Apr. 18, 2025
https://www.state-journal.com/opinion/editorial-spread-the-word-about-frankfort-franklin-county-flood-relief-fund/article_6140ff43-9b56-4fe0-9703-841f00e9ddb1.html