Save the Children Working to Meet Kentucky Kids’ Most Urgent Needs in Wake of Catastrophic Tornado

Nonprofit with 90-Year-Old Kentucky Roots Committed to Helping Kids, Families Recover in Laurel, Pulaski Counties

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 18, 2025) — After a deadly tornado swept through rural, eastern Kentucky this weekend, taking lives and leaving nearly 50 miles of destruction in its wake, Save the Children is working to provide critical supplies and support to help children and families hardest hit by the powerful storm.

In coordination with state and local partners, Save the Children is in the process of helping ensure essential, child-focused supplies get into the hands of children and families who need them most in Laurel and Pulaski Counties. This includes supplies like hygiene kits, diapers and wipes, as well as cash assistance to support families’ most urgent needs.

In addition, the global humanitarian organization is assessing the impacts on local child care centers, and stands ready to help restore child care and early learning centers damaged by the storm. Save the Children’s psychosocial team is also equipped to aid long-term recovery efforts by supporting the mental health needs of children and caregivers.

“Many children have been ripped from the lives they once knew, unsure of what the future may hold. It’s critical we get them essential supplies and support to be safe and healthy – and back to their everyday, comforting routines,” said Greta Wetzel, Save the Children’s Senior Psychosocial Support Advisor for U.S. emergencies. “Save the Children has been working in Kentucky for over 90 years and is prepared to meet kids’ immediate and long-term recovery needs in the wake of the tornado, including helping them return to learning and getting mental health supports to cope and heal.”

As a national leader in protecting children in emergencies, Save the Children has been supporting children’s most critical needs in U.S. emergencies since 2005. By contributing to the Children's Emergency Fund, you will help Save the Children protect kids in the United States when disaster strikes.

Save the Children has also been working in Kentucky rural communities since 1932, providing support to children and families most impacted by poverty. Today, this includes leading high-quality early education programs in some of the state’s most impoverished rural communities, to help children succeed in school and life.

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