Rotary collects for poorest of poor

GIRARD — Members of Girard-Liberty Rotary Club collected 60,000 pounds of clothing and medical supplies early this month for the Poorest of the Poor program, which will benefit people in need in Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee.

The club was assisted by the athletic department, Robotics Team and National Honor Society of Girard schools, church groups, senior citizens, Trumbull County Retired Teachers Association, consignment stores, businesses and individual volunteers.

Dr. Paul A. Wright is director of the Global Relief Program and S.P. Wright is coordinator of the Poorest of the Poor. The programs have operated for 26 years and have shipped an average of 200,000 pounds of clothing and medical supplies to poverty areas. In the United States, the focus is on Appalachia, American Indians, disaster areas and local needs.

After three hurricanes in the Caribbean, the 910 Airlift based in Vienna provided cargo planes to transport 50,000 pounds of medical supplies and clothing.