AOA is asking members to help.
(Press Release) ST. LOUIS — Hurricane Harvey continues its destructive path, impacting thousands of
individuals in Texas, among them many American Optometric Association (AOA) member doctors of optometry and students. The AOA stands by all of those affected by this storm and is reaching out to doctors and students, offering messages of unity and support, while encouraging all members to rally and help colleagues in need.
Predicted to be the worst hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast since 2005, Hurricane Harvey reached ground late Friday August 25 as a Category 4 storm. Stalled over the Texas Gulf Coast since Friday, it has released more than 20 inches of rain in some areas and there is little reprieve in sight. As of Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center in Miami indicated rains would continue for the next few days and some areas could see as much as 50 inches of rain.
“While we do not yet know how many of our hundreds of Texas doctors of optometry may be affected by this storm, the AOA and our fellow members stand with you all and are at the ready to provide the assistance needed personally and through Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief,” said Christopher J. Quinn, O.D., AOA President. “AOA leadership is stepping up donations and asking all members of our optometric family to do the same so that we can ensure doctors of optometry are able to do what they do best – help their patients in need.”
Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief, a program of Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation, is optometry’s exclusive financial support program to provide immediate assistance to those in need in the wake of natural disasters.
The fund has provided more than $579,600 dollars in support since its inception, changing the lives of many doctors across the country. Anyone can click here to donate to the fund.
Doctors affected by the storm can find more information and apply for disaster relief grants at http://www.aoafoundation.org/ofdr/.