Blue Ash nonprofit collects Nepal flood relief at Kenwood Road

Matthew 25: Ministries, the humanitarian relief organization headquartered on Kenwood Road in Blue Ash, is collecting food, hygiene products and medical supplies for victims of catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border.

Residents can drop off donations at 11083 Kenwood Road in Blue Ash. Online contributions are accepted at m25m.org.

The disaster has killed more than 390 people in Nepal and China combined and left more than 1,400 missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals, according to the Chicago Tribune citing the Associated Press. The U.S. State Department said roughly 90 American citizens remained unaccounted for as of Thursday, Aug. 27, according to WLWT.

The floods struck Wednesday, Aug. 26, after what the U.S. Geological Survey determined was a glacial collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border. Floodwaters swept away entire villages, destroyed dozens of bridges and damaged nearly 25 miles of roads, complicating rescue efforts.

The scale is staggering.

World Vision estimated more than 30,000 households would be affected. Nepal's tourism board reported 644 overseas nationals had not yet been located, including citizens from India, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

CEO Tim Mettey said Matthew 25: Ministries' partners are already on the ground delivering aid in Nepal and that the organization is committed to standing with flood victims "both now and throughout the long recovery ahead." He called the disaster horrific and said people need immediate help and hope.

The disaster also carries a direct Cincinnati connection. Venus Rajnikant Patel, a 45-year-old who recently moved from St. Louis to Cincinnati, is among those unaccounted for, according to the New York Post citing the Associated Press. His friend Jolene Gosha said Patel had been staying at a hotel near the border where floodwaters swept through.

"We're just hoping, hoping that by some chance he was able to climb his way out of it," Gosha said.

The U.S. State Department announced $500,000 in federal aid and said it is deploying a disaster response adviser to the region.

The Blue Ash facility continues to accept donations for the Nepal relief effort on a rolling basis.

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