AshBritt Foundation Donates Sprinter Van to Support Save the Children’s Flood Response in Eastern Kentucky

New Partnership between AshBritt Foundation, Save the Children, CANE Kitchen and Cowan Community Center to Provide Critical Meals, Learning Materials to Flood Victims

AshBritt Foundation, Save the Children, and Cowan Community Center participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the CANE Kitchen in Whitesburg, Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 9. (Photo: Business Wire)

LEXINGTON, Ky.--()--The AshBritt Foundation partnered with Save the Children to donate a multi-use sprinter van to the Cowan Community Center and CANE Kitchen in Eastern Kentucky to support their flood response efforts. The van was donated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the CANE Kitchen in Whitesburg on Friday, Sept. 9. The van will act in dual capacity - both as a mobile kitchen to bring healthy, regionally-sourced hot meals to families in Letcher County, and as a mobile library to bring early childhood education books and resources to families across the county.

The ceremony marked the beginning of a new partnership between the AshBritt Foundation, Cowan Community Center, CANE Kitchen and Save the Children. AshBritt, which donated the van, is the nation’s leading turn-key emergency management contractor and is currently leading debris removal and waterway cleanup in Eastern Kentucky following July’s catastrophic flooding. The van will be operated in partnership by CANE Kitchen and Cowan Community Center, while Save the Children will provide funding for meals and educational resources.

“We’re honored to partner with Save the Children, the Cowan Community Center and CANE Kitchen to assist with ongoing recovery efforts in Eastern Kentucky,” said Brittany Perkins Castillo, CEO of AshBritt. “At AshBritt, we take a ‘whole of community’ approach to disaster recovery. Save the Children, the community center, and the kitchen are vital organizations supporting the people of Eastern Kentucky. Together we are working to ensure that the road to recovery includes the needs of families, children, and community support services.”

The van is similar to Save the Children’s current mobile classroom and emergency response bus, Rosie the Readiness Bus, which recently gained national news attention for its work supporting Kentucky flood victims with mobile meals and essential supplies.

“Save the Children has been working in Kentucky since the Great Depression, and the recent flooding is the largest scale emergency we have experienced and responded to during our 90-year history in the state,” said Alissa Taylor, Save the Children’s Kentucky State Director. “We are grateful to our tremendous partners, the AshBritt Foundation, Cowan Community Center, and CANE Kitchen, for their commitment in helping eastern Kentucky kids and families rebuild and recover from this historic disaster. They greatly need our help now and well into the future.”

For members of the media interested in requesting a media interview with Save The Children, please email Jeremy Soulliere at jsoulliere@savechildren.org or with The AshBritt Foundation, please email Hannah Stone at hannah@ashbritt.com.

About Save the Children:

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

About AshBritt:

Celebrating its 30th year, AshBritt is a national rapid-response emergency management and logistics company. AshBritt has led response efforts following 60 federally declared disasters across 30 states and has conducted more than 400 missions, successfully serving over 600 clients. AshBritt is the trusted emergency management contractor for cities, counties, states and for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense where AshBritt holds a pre-position debris management contract which covers 25 U.S. states. AshBritt was at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, building and staffing field hospitals, treatment centers, and vaccination sites across 20 states. For more information, visit www.ashbritt.com.

Contacts

Save the Children:
Jeremy Soulliere
Email: jsoulliere@savechildren.org

AshBritt Foundation:
Hannah Stone
Email: hannah@ashbritt.com

Release Summary

AshBritt Foundation partners with Save the Children to donate a multi-use sprinter van to support flood response efforts in Eastern Kentucky.

Contacts

Save the Children:
Jeremy Soulliere
Email: jsoulliere@savechildren.org

AshBritt Foundation:
Hannah Stone
Email: hannah@ashbritt.com