Del Norte Bank taking donations for Harvey

DEL NORTE— Del Norte Bank President Mike Hurst announced in an interview on Friday, Aug. 31 that the bank will be taking donations and matching the funds for victims of the Harvey Hurricane in Texas. Hurst stated because several of the bank’s customers had approached him asking for help in choosing a foundation to donate to, he decided to begin a donation drop-off location at the bank and offer to match the donated funds up to $2,000.
“There are so many organizations collecting funds for the hurricane victims, it’s hard to pick which one would be most beneficial to the people and not to mention the fact that some of the organizations claiming to be a donation are fraudulent, so I decided to help with that locally and offer to collect donations here at the bank,” explained Hurst. Hurst continued by stating that he was in contact Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who helped set up the donation fund and aided in choosing where the money would be the most beneficial.
“We will be accepting donations until Sept. 15 and will match every dollar up to $2,000. The funds will be donated to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund which was set up by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and was listed as the number one organization by the New York Times. It is this organization that will be the most beneficial to the victims and was recommended for being the most effective,” stated Hurst.
It has been almost a week since the hurricane made land on the southern shores of Texas and caused flooding over half of the state. According to an update provided by the Associated Press, “Nearly 50 people are feared to have been killed by the storm and officials have warned that the recovery effort could take years. 
President Donald Trump on Saturday visited areas in Texas and Louisiana affected by the storm, and he announced increased federal disaster funding for relief. Trump met with storm survivors, rescue workers and officials. 
As Houston residents started to return to their homes over the weekend, fears rose about the status of 13 heavily contaminated former industrial zones that were flooded or damaged during the storm. 
The National Hurricane Center, meanwhile, has its eyes on a new storm system gaining power over the Eastern Atlantic: Hurricane Irma. With wind speeds of up to 115 mph, Irma is currently a Category 3 hurricane and is expected to strengthen through Monday night. It is predicted to hit the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, as well as possibly the U.S. east coast.”
Hurst and his team at Del Norte Bank encourage anyone wanting to donate to the cause do so cautiously and come to the bank if at all possible. “We want to make an impact where it will be used effectively and make sure our local money goes where it is needed,” said Hurst. “We want to leverage their donations with ours and have it make the most impact.” 
Hurst finished by stating that the bank will collect funds until Sept. 15, when they plan to send the funds to the mentioned organization.