Albania Earthquake Relief

Albania, a country situated in Southeastern Europe, was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake at 3:54 AM CET on November 26th, 2019. More than 1,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquake. The City of Durres and the village of Thumanë are the most affected.

- Two hotels and two apartment blocks collapsed in Durrës.

- Four buildings, including a five-storey apartment block, collapsed in Kodër-Thumanë.

- 51 people lost their lives (to date)

- Close to 1,000 people were injured (to date)

- Thousands have been left homeless

Tents have been set up in large, open spaces such as soccer fields to provide shelter to those affected, and close to 2,000 people have been placed in various cities across neighboring Kosovo. However, two days after the earthquake, Durrës was hit by a storm and more rain is expected to come. It is now imperative to accommodate everyone in shelters that are more durable than the current tents. Rescue crews with specialized equipment, sniffer dogs, and emergency supplies have made their way to Albania to assist with search and rescue efforts as there are still people believed to be caught under the rubble.

District 7280 Rotary Keystone E-Club is comprised of members from the USA, Kosovo, Canada, Africa, and New Zealand. The news of the earthquake hit home for many people in our club. As a club, we rallied immediately to explore ways to help Albania and we have launched a fundraising campaign. We would like to extend a friendly invitation to our fellow Rotarians to join us in our efforts to support those affected, as Albania faces a long road to reconstruction.

To support the fundraiser, please follow the link (and feel free to pass it around): https://keystonerotaryclub.org/albania-earthquake-relief-fund/

If you prefer to contribute to the fundraiser through checks, you can make them payable to Keystone Rotary Club and mail to our Club President, Darla Motta, 2580 Holiday Ave, Zebulon, NC 27597.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach us at: KeystoneRotaryEClub@gmail.com or call/text Darla at 724-458-8822.

Thank you for your support and generosity,

District #7280 Rotary Keystone E-Club

Dear members of Rotary District 7280, 

You have no doubt seen the devastation of Hurricane Dorian as it has passed over the Bahamas.  As the storm tracks north, it has the potential of inflicting more devastation to parts of the East Coast of the United States.  In the coming days and weeks there is going to be a tremendous need in these areas.

Our new Zone 33/34 partners, which include the areas affected, have set up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), which is administered through The Rotary Foundation, to accept donations for relief.  Through this fund you can either designate that your donation go to the area of most need or you can specify a specific Rotary District to receive your support.   All funds received will be directed by local Rotary clubs in the areas affected and 100% of the monies raised will go directly to those in need.   All donations are tax deductible. 

I ask that you please take time to review the attached which offers information on how you can donate to the Donor Advised Fund.  The areas covered by the various districts, either affected or potential affected, is listed under how to donate by “check” on the attached form.   

Another very important way you can help is to send a donation to Shelter Box USA through the following link, www.shelterboxusa.org/donate .  While Shelter Box does not have a restricted fund established for Hurricane Dorian, any gift to their Deployments Essentials fund is restricted to gear and expenses directly associated with ShelterBox disaster responses.

Thank you for taking time to review this information and on behalf of our fellow Rotary Districts, I thank you for any support you can offer.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Yours in Rotary Service,