Governor Eric Holcomb has announced a regional collection system to sort and deliver items donated by Hoosiers to the thousands of Afghan evacuees temporarily housed at Camp Atterbury. Several state agencies will collaborate to receive, sort and deliver the needed items.
“Hoosiers have overwhelmingly responded to the needs of the Afghan evacuees and asked to help these men, women, children and families as they arrive in the United States,” Governor Holcomb said. “We are proud to do our part in helping those who have helped the United States and provide an organized collection effort to expedite getting the supplies to those who need them.”
Nine Indiana National Guard armories will serve as regional collection sites for the public to drop off new items to help clothe and support the evacuees. Indiana Department of Correction and Indiana Department of Transportation personnel, with coordination from the State Emergency Operations Center and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, will work to ensure the donations are delivered to Camp Atterbury.
Since the evacuees arrived in Indiana, volunteers from Team Rubicon, a national disaster response group, and the American Red Cross have been collaborating to provide them needed resources. Forty percent of the evacuees are children ages 14 and under.
Only new items will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Sept. 20 at the following National Guard armories:
- South Bend: 1901 Kemble Ave.
- Evansville: 3300 E. Division St.
- Greenfield: 410 Apple St.
- Rockville: 224 W. Strawberry Road
- Danville: 1245 E. Main St.
- Muncie: 401 N. Country Club Road
- Indianapolis: Kessler-Moore Readiness Center, 2625 W. Kessler Blvd. North Drive
- Fort Wayne: 130 W. Cook Road
- New Albany: 2909 Grant Line Road
The following items are being accepted at the armories because they have been identified as needed the most. The items should be in their original packaging:
- Men’s and women’s unbranded, modest clothes such as long sleeve t-shirts, underwear, pants and jackets in sizes small to large. No shorts or tank tops.
- Children’s clothing, including baby and newborn clothes, hats and socks
- Powdered baby formula
- Socks, hats, shoes and slide-on sandals (no flip flops) for evacuees of all ages
Any organization or business seeking to make a large donation and cannot deliver to a designated site should contact IDHS at privatesector@dhs.in.gov.
Anyone wishing to donate additional items through Team Rubicon can find more information here.
Hoosiers interested in making monetary donations can do so through Team Rubicon or the American Red Cross at the following links:
https://fundraise.teamrubiconusa.org/give/355135/#!/donation/checkout
