Mudslide victims in one of the poorest countries in the world are getting some help from our local YMCA. To date, around 500 people have died in Sierra Leone and another 600 are missing and presumed dead due to the mass flooding and mudslides that hit on August 14th.
The YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka has been partnered up with the YMCA Sierra Leone for over 10 years, and is asking residents to pitch in and help the West African country as it has declared a state of national emergency.
The Vice President of Philanthropy, Brand and Community Development for the YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka, Brian Shelley, says all of the money raised will go directly into supporting the YMCA Sierra Leone’s efforts.
Shelley says the hardest hit areas are also the poorest, and the people that live there likely won’t be able to move to a safer area.
Overall, he says the YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka is taking a leadership role with this initiative because it believes in creating healthy communities. He says that’s true for our own backyard and the global community.
To help support the cause go to the YMCA website: