Amazing Support for our Community:
NEW: Our sister city in Gero, Japan: How blessed we are to have a partnership with the people of Gero, Japan. They are collecting donations to help provide relief and recovery and will deposit their support into the disaster fund in June. Thank you to our Mayor Hayward and Tamara Fountain in his office for being instrumental in creating strong relationships and for being so responsive with ways to help.
NEW: Chico’s in Cordova Mall will be opening their doors early on Saturday 5/17 in hopes of generating more sales through 9 pm. They will donate 10% of all funds to help with disaster relief and recovery. They are outside the mall located next to Ann Taylor and look forward to welcoming you early!
NEW: Buffalo Wild Wings had a packed house today 5/14/2014 as they kept the cash register busy with 10% of their sales going to help with recovery.
Don’t Forget: Take a few extra bucks when you attend Blue Wahoos Games on Friday 5/16, Wednesday 5/21, Friday 5/23, Saturday 5/24 and you could win 50% of the funds collected while 50% will go to help flood relief efforts.
Don’t Forget: If your car was flooded, Kia Autosport of Pensacola is donating $100 from every car sold in the month of May to the relief and recovery fund.
Continuing Gratitude: We look to award out the $10,000 in relief funds generously donated by Sheriff Morgan by the end of the week. Applications from local non-profit agencies are currently being reviewed for a requested $256,000 in relief funds.
Contributions continue to come in through www.helpNWFLrecover.org
NEW: Channel 3 has been running the site on the banner that scrolls during their newscast and local radio partners continue to promote during on air time. The Pensacola News Journal has been publishing the site as a way to support on their local causes page and we hope this will continue to build the fund to meet long-term recovery. After reading FEMA’s latest recovery program summary and noting the 45 max grants have already been awarded in Escambia and 1 awarded in Santa Rosa county, it is evident that the needs of our neighbors and friends will vastly exceed the assistance that can be provided through FEMA grants.
You can contribute your secure donation online at www.helpNWFLrecover.org. There have been questions about whether we United Way of Escambia will take a share of the fund for administration of the fund. Please know that the United Way of Escambia Board of Directors have directed that United Way will only recover the actual costs incurred in processing donations for the recent flooding (credit card fees, bank charges, etc). ALL money stays Local!
BRACE Update Provided by Greg Strader, Executive Director
Greg shared the update from Escambia County that may provide several resources that agency partners and case managers can share with their clients and impacted citizens. Highlights are below:
NEW: Tele-registrations for FEMA aid through today stand at 7,258 registrations; $10,218,141 in eligible housing program assistance and $1,634,438 in other needs assistance has been approved. 542 Small Business Loans have been sent; 239 have been returned and 6 have been approved. Cumulative Applications by county are as follows: Escambia: 5,693; Santa Rosa: 1,175; Okaloosa: 316; Walton: 53 (There have been 21 applications from undeclared counties). Report attached.
NEW: Additional Counties Eligible for SBA Disaster Assistance in Florida – SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Escambia County : The disaster declaration now covers Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties in Florida which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Bay, Holmes, and Washington in Florida; and Baldwin, Covington, Escambia and Geneva in Alabama. (full release attached) The center in Escambia County will be located at the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and opens Thursday, May 15 at 8 a.m.
NEW: SERT report attached: Disaster Recovery Centers are being established in Walton and Okaloosa counties. 43 individuals are still in shelter at the Fricker Center in Escambia County. Human Service updates include the following: Meals served to date: 14,432, Snacks served to date: 24,105
NEW: The Salvation Army has distributed to date 1,749 Clean Up Kits;• 321 Comfort Kits;• 1,813 Food Boxes;• 2,228 Cases of Water;• 568 Clothing Vouchers;• 22 Furniture;• 506 Gift Card;• 6 Transportation
NEW: American Red Cross has distributed to date 1,411 Clean Up Kits;• 140 Comfort Kits;• 24,856 Miscellaneous Bulk Items;• 384 Health Services Contacts
NEW: Southern Baptist have had 295 Job requests for mud out/cleanup have been assessed, 95 of those jobs have been completed
NEW: Escambia County Update
· Escambia County has received notification that is has been awarded a Public Assistance Declaration from FEMA. Public Assistance provides aid to state or local governments to pay part of the costs of rebuilding a community’s damaged infrastructure. Generally, public assistance programs pay for 75 per cent of the approved project costs. Public Assistance may include debris removal, emergency protective measures and public services, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools. (full release attached)
· Escambia County crews will continue to collect flood debris through Friday, May 16. The Department of Solid Waste Management can be reached at (850) 937-2160.Those in need of assistance from Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) may contact its customer service line by calling (850) 476-0480. (full release attached)