9-year old Lilly Gonzales watched the news on Monday night with her mother on her birthday. The images from the devastation in Houston left behind by Harvey shocked her.
“She said to me: ‘Mommy, we have to do something. That’s what I want for my birthday,” Denise Gonzales, Lilly’s mother said.
The next morning Gonzales asked the principal of Lilly’s school if the school could organize something.
“He was immediately on board,” Gonzales said.
Bridgeprep Academy in Delray opened just four weeks ago.
“We definitely have the space,” Principal Paul Sirota said.
The school is accepting donations from anyone in the community. They’re looking for items such as clothing, diapers, baby formula, cases of water and blankets until Sep. 7th. Then they will move the donations to the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches where it will be delivered to Houston.
At the Red Cross center in West Palm Beach the phones are ringing off the hook.
“People want to know how they can help,” Joanne Nowlin, regional chief executive officer with the American Red Cross said. “We’re having a great response. Right now, we need funds. Financial contributions are the way that we can access them as quickly as possible and get them were we need them the most.”