Below is a recap from Amelia Fletcher, AWF Conference Disaster Response Coordinator.
Alabama:
Baldwin County has set up a Long Term Recovery operation with officers. An office has been set up at Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort. Assessment and evaluation of information is currently being done. Lutheran Disaster has loaned us an office/volunteer manager for three to four weeks.
Case management will be handled by the current service agencies. ALVOAD has sent information on the opening of the CAN (coordinated assistance network) portal.
Have interviewed a volunteer management person, Kathyrn Giles from the Spanish Fort UMC. She would begin in late July or August. Depending on number of homes and funding, this might be a part-time position.
I am seeking a construction supervisor/site manager and I will manage the oversite of the Alabama piece.
Four churches in Baldwin Co have offered to host volunteers: Fairhope, Foley, Rosinton, Gulf Shores.
Next LTR meeting June 24.
I'll be requesting grant money for Baldwin after definitive number of homes and scope of work established.
FLORIDA:
We are currently working in partnership with a five-county committee: Escambia, Jackson, Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa. In the Pensacola area we are communicating with BRACE (Be Ready Alliance), and on the state level the FLVOAD.
FEMA registrations received as June 18:
Registrations Received as of June 18, 2014 13,571
Disbursed Eligible Housing Program Assistance $25,612,621
Disbursed Other Needs Assistance $5,015,101
Small Business Administration Home Load Applications Returned 1,804
Small Business Administration Home Loan Applications Approved 692
Small Business Administration Home Loans Approved $29,706,000
|
County |
Cumulative Applications |
HA Amount |
ONA Amount |
Maximum Grant |
|
Escambia (County) |
9,468 |
19,048,605.18 |
4,072,916.06 |
66 |
|
Jackson (County) |
328 |
365,986.66 |
31,350.53 |
1 |
|
Okaloosa (County) |
1,291 |
1,543,436.05 |
217,142.70 |
0 |
|
Santa Rosa (County) |
1,975 |
4,175,556.79 |
662,589.74 |
3 |
|
Walton (County) |
426 |
479,037.13 |
31,102.92 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
13,488 |
25,612,621.81 |
5,015,101.95 |
70 |
Gulf Breeze UMC has offered office space to the Conference to use as a hub for our operations. A construction supervisor has been interviewed as well as a case manager. Both look promising. Actively seeking an executive supervisor and volunteer manager. Will meet with Gulf Breeze again after the 4th.
Greg Forrester (Assistant General Secretary, UMCOR US Disaster Response) and I attended the first regional meeting of agencies in Milton and then visited Gulf Breeze. We spent a couple of hours in discussion with Pastor Shawn York who has managed the response in GB. It was a timely and productive visit.
Volunteer hosts sites are currently Gulf Breeze and Warrington. Contact with other district churches will be conducted by email first, then phone. It is probable that the shower trailer will go to the Pensacola District at the end of the summer. Currently it is committed to Dauphin Way in Mobile for two weeks and to ARM through August. This should be just the right timing for need. Warrington has agreed to place the trailer and host.
A request for volunteers has been issued to the Florida Conference and to SEJ UMVIM for Washington and Walton Counties. Pam Garrison of the Florida Conference has been a wonderful resource and has volunteers who want to serve in state. We are working with Gabe Tishcler (Catholic Disaster) and Hammers and Hearts. Housing and coordination is being done through these groups established with the area floods of 2013. I will incorporate funding and a case manager for this area so that our support is not localized to Pensacola area.
I have been in conversation with UMCOR about case management training (tentatively July 7-9) and I will be working on the grant proposal with Cathy Earl of UMCOR on Friday morning.
I welcome your input on any of these items and plans.
Amelia