Windham tornado fund extends deadline for donations, funding for April 17 twister

Months after a tornado ripped through Windham, the Portage Foundation and Portage County Emergency Management still are collecting donations for local disaster relief efforts.

The Portage Foundation and the EMA have extended the deadline until Aug. 16 for donations to be made to the Portage County Disaster Relief Fund, and for affected residents to apply for relief.

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Windham on April 17. The Portage County EMA assessed 34 homes. Five homes were destroyed, with some losing their roof and others moved off their foundation. One home had major damage, and the rest were "affected," or had minor damage.

The EMA and Portage Foundation immediately began collecting donations for the disaster relief fund. The Portage Foundation is the hub that accepts all monetary donations in the event of large-scale disasters affecting Portage County citizens.

Donations to the fund are being accepted via credit card through the foundation website at: https://portagefoundation.org/pcdrf/ or through the foundation’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PortageFoundation.

Windham residents whose properties were affected by the tornado can find applications for assistance on the Portage Foundation website. Applications will be accepted through the new deadline date of Aug. 16.

Paper applications can obtained by contacting the Portage Foundation: 330-470-8950 or PCEMA: 330-297-3607.

Checks may be made payable to The Portage Foundation, with a designation of “Windham Tornado” in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to The Portage Foundation, P.O. Box 623, Kent, OH 44240. Cash or check donations may also be dropped off at Portage Community Bank branches in the name of the Portage County Disaster Relief Fund.

The fund's Donations Coordinating Team will determine how funding will be distributed and eligibility of applicants, and will provide as much relief as funding permits. The team is comprised of representatives of Windham Township, Portage Foundation, Portage EMA and others in the area. The non-profit foundation will receive 5% of donations for administration and distribution activities.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.