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CAMP HILL, Pa. — The Rite Aid Foundation has donated an additional $50,000 to the American Red Cross Louisiana Capital Area to help with flood relief efforts in the greater Baton Rouge area.
The foundation said the donation will be used to provide 11,000 comfort kits, which contain personal hygiene products and snacks, to people displaced by the flooding.
Earlier this month, the Rite Aid Foundation announced a $50,000 donation to help with relief efforts.
Rite Aid operates 61 stores in Louisiana, including 11 in the greater Baton Rouge area, and employs almost 1,000 associates across the state.
“The flooding in Louisiana has brought devastation and uncertainty to tens of thousands of people,” said Elizabeth Penniman, vice president of communications for the American Red Cross. “Thanks to the generosity of partners like The Rite Aid Foundation, the Red Cross will be able to support the 18 shelters open throughout the area, continue to distribute relief supplies and provide comfort to people hit hard by this historic event.”
The historic rainfall began around Aug. 11, as a slow-moving, low-pressure storm system dumped torrential and prolonged rain across southern Louisiana. Accumulations surged over 20 inches in some areas and raised several rivers to record flood levels. Published reports said that more than 20,000 people had to be rescued as thousands of buildings and cars flooded, leaving many homeless and driving many people to shelters. More than a dozen people were killed in storm-related incidents, according to reports. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated 20 Louisiana parishes as federal disaster areas following the floods.
