The local chapter of a global relief organization found itself on the receiving end for a change as a Minot newspaper and its parent company made a sizable donation for help in assisting flooding victims.
Minot Daily News publisher Steve Herron met with Maj. Don Kincaid of the Salvation Army's Minot office Wednesday afternoon to present checks totaling $10,000.
Herron told Kincaid that a contribution button was placed on The Minot Daily News website, as well as other newspapers which are owned by its parent company, Ogden Newspapers.
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Dave Caldwell/MDN - - Steve Herron, right, publisher of The Minot Daily News, hands over checks totaling $10,000 to Maj. Don Kincaid of the Salvation Army of Minot Wednesday at the newspaper’s downtown office.
Herron said The Minot Daily News had 22 employees who were evacuated during the flood.
"Unfortunately, three of those people are no longer here," Herron said. "They had no place to go, no place to live, and they weren't (originally) from here, so they just moved away."
Making a difference
Herron said The Minot Daily News employees had a straw poll to determine what local organization would receive the donation, and the Salvation Army was the choice.
"Our employees said that they really looked forward to the trucks rolling up the streets providing something to eat," Herron said. "Many of our victims said they normally wouldn't take time to go someplace to eat, but they would stop and enjoy a meal from the Salvation Army."
Kincaid said that every penny of the "significant" contribution would stay in the local area to assist flood-impacted people who are "trying to put their lives back together."
"Many of the flood-impacted people's income is over the so-called federal poverty level," Kincaid said. "Here they are stressed with starting life all over at such a financial loss as well as an emotional burden. This will help us as we're trying to make a difference in their lives."
"There were a lot of great organizations collecting for flood victims and they will be distributing funds in due process," Herron said. "The general consensus of flood victims of The Minot Daily News was to get the money out to flood victims as quickly as possible. They felt the Salvation Army was the best source at this time and liked that all money collected would stay (to help) locally."