Donate to help out the kids rescued from the bridge collapse!

In reading about the people who died in the bridge accident, I noticed that family members and co-workers had set up accounts for donations to help out their families. I wondered if there was a fund to help out the kids who were on the bus because in the video I saw that some of them had injuries, many were clearly still frightened, and they are from families with very few resources. They were on a field trip as part of a program of the Waite House, a program supported by Pillsbury United Communities.

The young man who helped rescue them, Jeremy Hernandez, has had to drop out of school because he couldn't afford it.

I have discovered that there are two ways to make contributions to support the needs of these children and the Waite House program that serves them.

Please note that

* a number of the students on the bus are from families that are
undocumented and do not have any medical insurance. Pillsbury United Communities is taking up a collection:


Contributions can be sent
Waite House
c/o Pillsbury United Communities
1201 37th Avenue North
Minneapolis, Mn 55412

You can specific a certain % of the donation to pay for medical expenses,
and a certain % of Jeremy's scholarship if you prefer.


I have just discovered this message from one of my city council members, Gary Schiff that tells other methods of making donations to the fund:

A fund has been set up for children from the Waite House summer
program in Phillips who survived the 35W bridge collapse on
Wednesday, August 1st. All the occupants of the bus, which was
returning the youth from a field trip at a water park, reached safety
in the moments after the disaster.
Images of the bus resting against the bridges guardrail have become
a symbol of survival and heroism stemming from the tragedy. The fund
will support the students on the bus for what they need in the
process of recovery, including medical bills, Francisco Segovia,
director of Waite House said. Donations can be made online through at
www.puc-mn.org, click on donate and select the Waite House Bridge
Disaster Fund in the designation section. Donations are also being
accepted over the phone by calling toll free 888-642-3040 or by mail
to the Pillsbury United Communities, Development Office, 1201 37th
Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55412. Please specify the Waite House
Bridge Disaster Fund when mailing in donations.