Written By: Katie Kyros
The Filipino community in York came together for a benefit on Sunday to raise money for friends and family in the Philippines who lost their homes in the Typhoon.
Salon owner Amalia Gohn, from Red Lion, planned the benefit for her scholarship program for young women, but when her family’s home was destroyed in Leyte, she knew she had to help.
“When you talk to them, they’re just smiling and they don’t even have a bathroom or water and food,” she says. “So I’m very happy with my people, they’re very strong people.”
The event featured food and dancing, but the focus was on those who are homeless and cut off in the Philippines. Some still haven’t heard the whereabouts of their loved ones.
“Everything’s down, so I don’t really know, I just see it on TV and it’s devastating,” says Heidi Vaught, who still has not heard from her daughter’s father.
It’s been more than a week since the Typhoon made landfall in the Philippines, and many areas remain difficult to get to.
“I don’t even have contact with my family, the only thing I can see is Facebook, but no communication at all,” says Judith McGovern, who hasn’t been able to speak to her mother. “I see my mom’s house, it’s totally nothing left.”
To help, you can call Gohn’s salon at (717) 881-3555 for more information.