North Dakota – A worldwide social welfare organization is providing money to support future disaster relief efforts in parts of North Dakota.
Lions Club International awarded a $15,000 grant to District 5-NW to put together two disaster relief trailers for the western part of the state.
The group will also receive grant money for each disaster response going forward.
“Our hope is that, in the future, when we have a flood, tornado or wildfire we can respond with the appropriate resources,” said Lynn Helms, Lions Club District Governor for western North Dakota on The Flag on Monday.
Helms, who stepped down last year as the state’s Department of Mineral Resources Director, says an advisory committee was also formed comprising of first responders.
“We’re going to purchase supplies such as meals-ready-to-eat so we can respond say to a wildfire to help firefighters,” said Helms, who says one of the trailers will have a stove, refrigerator and freezer inside.
“It’ll be able to stay at a disaster for an extended period of time,” said Helms. “[The trailer can be used] to make meals, hand out supplies like personal hygiene equipment and it has an emergency generator so it can go anywhere in the state.”
Between July 2025 and January 2025, Lions Club International says it has handed out close to 90 disaster relief grants exceeding a total of $1.7 million.
