Bears donate $200,000 to storm recovery efforts in Indiana, Chicago suburbs

The Chicago Bears have donated $200,000 to support communities affected by severe storms and flooding in Chicago's south suburbs and Northwest Indiana, the team announced Saturday. The donation provides $100,000 each to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary.

Donation and Recipient Response

The funding comes as Gary and other Northwest Indiana communities continue to recover from widespread power outages following severe storms earlier this month. Both organizations are working to address immediate and ongoing resident needs, including food, clothing, housing assistance and other resources, as many families remain without power or displaced from their homes.

Sally Blount, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said: "We deeply value and respect the longstanding philanthropic leadership of the Chicago Bears organization." She noted that unexpected expenses can become a crisis for an individual or family already living on a limited budget, adding, "This funding will make a big difference to families affected by the storm."

Bishop Robert J. McClory of the Diocese of Gary said the donation would support ongoing recovery efforts. "Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary has been responding to local needs from day one," he said in a statement. "The support from the Bears and many other partners will help elevate efforts to reach the most vulnerable in our communities." He encouraged prayer and neighborly support for those suffering.

Terry Seljan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, said the storms have "turned lives upside down for thousands of families, leaving them to face unexpected challenges and uncertainty."

Ongoing Power Crisis

As of midday Saturday, nearly 30,000 residents in Lake and Porter counties remained without power, according to NIPSCO, down from 374,500 in the hours following the August 11 storms. The catastrophic weather brought high winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes, triggering widespread flooding. The hardest hit cities included Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, and Munster. Power has been restored to over 340,000 residents, but thousands of NIPSCO customers were still without electricity as of Saturday, two weeks after the storms.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been pressuring the utility company, NIPSCO, and on Friday asked the federal government to issue a major disaster declaration. Damage estimates from the storms exceed $5 billion. "NIPSCO needs to match the urgency of these men and women, and of Hoosier ratepayers," Braun said.

NIPSCO issued a statement acknowledging the frustration and difficulty of being without power and expressing commitment to restoring power to 100% of customers.

Support and Relief Efforts

Food and other resources remain critical as thousands of residents have been without power for over a week, with World Central Kitchen responding in Gary.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary has set up a Storm Relief Fund, and donations can be made online.

Flourish Church and Flourish Community Hub are seeking dry good donations and volunteers as they provide resources to affected residents. Despite remaining without power, Flourish plans to hold a Family Rest & Resource Sunday.

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, which experienced its own internet issues earlier, is seeking volunteers for mobile markets. Natalie Krivas can be contacted at 219-980-1777 extension 315 or via email.

The Gary Muslim Center has raised more than $28,000 toward a $35,000 goal, surpassing its previous goal of $25,000. Donations will provide clean water, hot meals, gas cards, clothing, diapers, emergency housing, and household, plus supplies through an Amazon wish list.

The Gary Branch of the NAACP has partnered with local organizations on storm relief efforts, using its social media to share resources.

The YWCA Northwest Indiana has extended free hot meals and showers to residents affected by outages, and has access to power.

The announcement Saturday of the Bears' donation marks an ongoing corporate response from the team, which joins these efforts. The Chicago Bears' support is notable as the region grapples with an extended recovery period.