Distribution of Donations Begins in Cleveland, Texas
Sep 09, 2017 11:09AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Photo via Teresa Dean Coats
A crew of volunteers has begun distributing the seven trucks' worth of hurricane relief donations from Manhattan Beach to Cleveland, Texas. Cleveland police estimated that there were 900 cars waiting in line when the distribution tents opened at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
Three hours into the donation, the line of cars was still too long to see to the end.
The donations from Manhattan Beach include childrens' clothing kits, hygiene kits, cleaning kits, school supplies, Skechers shoes and socks, blankets and towels, and more.
More than 300 volunteers were on hand to assist with the distribution, including members from the Cleveland school district, the football team, the ROTC, the band, and other school groups and community members,.
The relief effort was part of what became a massive city-wide effort to aid the citizens of Cleveland, Texas, which sustained severe flooding and damage following Hurricane Harvey. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District, as well as the city of Manhattan Beach and multiple city service and volunteer organizations, rallied to create a massive relief effort in just a matter of days.
On Wednesday night, when all was said and done, the Manhattan Beach volunteers had packed up seven 26-foot trucks chock full of supplies.
Mira Costa High School Principal Ben Dale, who is a Cleveland, Texas native, said that Manhattan Beach's response to the call for donations was "incredible."
"We started out thinking we were going to have two trucks. One turned into two, two turned into four, and the four turned into seven the day before," Mira Costa Principal Ben Dale told the Cleveland Advocate.
Dale added that there were enough donations of adult clothing to fill an eighth truck, but the team decided that since the adult clothing was not the greatest area of need, it would be better to direct the donation dollars to drywall rather than toward the costs of renting an additional truck and paying for gas. More than $35,000 has been contributed to the cause so far.
Following their arrival on Friday, the Manhattan Beach team was feted with a Texas-style BBQ and enjoyed a Cleveland High School football game before beginning the official distribution effort on Saturday morning.
Three hours into the donation, the line of cars was still too long to see to the end.
The donations from Manhattan Beach include childrens' clothing kits, hygiene kits, cleaning kits, school supplies, Skechers shoes and socks, blankets and towels, and more.
More than 300 volunteers were on hand to assist with the distribution, including members from the Cleveland school district, the football team, the ROTC, the band, and other school groups and community members,.
The relief effort was part of what became a massive city-wide effort to aid the citizens of Cleveland, Texas, which sustained severe flooding and damage following Hurricane Harvey. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District, as well as the city of Manhattan Beach and multiple city service and volunteer organizations, rallied to create a massive relief effort in just a matter of days.
On Wednesday night, when all was said and done, the Manhattan Beach volunteers had packed up seven 26-foot trucks chock full of supplies.
Mira Costa High School Principal Ben Dale, who is a Cleveland, Texas native, said that Manhattan Beach's response to the call for donations was "incredible."
"We started out thinking we were going to have two trucks. One turned into two, two turned into four, and the four turned into seven the day before," Mira Costa Principal Ben Dale told the Cleveland Advocate.
Dale added that there were enough donations of adult clothing to fill an eighth truck, but the team decided that since the adult clothing was not the greatest area of need, it would be better to direct the donation dollars to drywall rather than toward the costs of renting an additional truck and paying for gas. More than $35,000 has been contributed to the cause so far.
Following their arrival on Friday, the Manhattan Beach team was feted with a Texas-style BBQ and enjoyed a Cleveland High School football game before beginning the official distribution effort on Saturday morning.
Donations Arrive in Cleveland, TX [14 Images]
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