Assistance for the victims of the March Indian Lake tornado continues.
The United Way of Logan County reports that $549,808.49 has been distributed, as of Thursday, April 25th, to help 224 households (522 tornado victims).
55 more cases are in process, awaiting decisions or verifications from applicants.
76 additional households have appointments already scheduled.
If you or someone you know needs help, make your appointment today by calling United Way at (937) 592-2886.
Here is the breakdown of how tornado victims are choosing to use their United Way help:
- 114 Home Insurance Deductibles – $165,253.86
- 74 Home Repairs – $141,014.13
- 49 Rents for new or existing homes – $49,280.91
- 28 Security Deposits for new homes – $45,484.00
- 20 Down payments for New Autos – $32,486.53
- 20 Auto Repairs – $30,452.40
- 32 Auto Insurance Deductibles – $25,438.15
- 20 Auto Loan payments – $15,404.55
- 21 Mortgage payments – $13,688.73
- 13 Hotel Stays – $9,982.17
- 13 Utility Bills – $3,764.34
- 5 Student / Youth Participation Fees – $1,117.46
- 6 Pet Care – $1,100.38
- 3 Prescription Medications – $617.50
- 29 Other items, such as storage, moving expenses, generators, etc. – $13,723.38
Tornado victims from each affected neighborhood and leaders from the Indian Lake community met on April 3 to determine the criteria for how the Relief Funds would be spent.
“On behalf of the Indian Lake Tornado Relief Committee, we thank all the outside donors for your support to create this opportunity,” said Brenda Moots, owner of Indian Lake Outfitters & The Depot in Lakeview. “Our goal is to assist as many families as possible with full transparency, representation, and immediate need to our Indian Lake area residents. We know this isn’t a fix-all answer to everyone’s situation. It won’t completely address the large number of displaced families or their widespread needs. But it is certainly a good start that offers hope and assists with more immediate need while the community works through avenues of other funding possibilities.”
Committee members include:
- Dave Coburn – Indian Lake Schools
- Pastor Jim Ellington – Indian Lake Community Church
- Dale Frymeyer – Choice Properties Real Estate / Indian Lake Development Corporation
- Suzanne Gillespie – Shoreline Construction
- Cynthia Heffner – Logan County Department of Job & Family Services
- Rachel Kubic – Hanna Howard Real Estate / Indian Lake Development Corporation
- Scott Mohler – Lift Delivery
- Brenda Moots – Indian Lake Outfitters
- Amy Musil – LuLu’s at the Lake
- Tim O’Rielley – CoverLink Insurance / United Way Allocations Chair
- Rick Powers – NX Automotive Logistics / United Way Board Member
- Katie Rychener – Unit-Ten / United Way Board Member
- Corey VanHoose – CenterPoint Energy / United Way Board Member
Also present were
- Dave Bezusko- United Way of Logan County
- Ashley Spence – United Way of Logan County
- Bobbi Jo Trittschuh – Honda
The committee authorized that 70 percent of the funds raised to date (up to $800,000) will be used in this second phase of support for tornado recovery, with the remaining funds set aside for a third phase of funding taking long-term needs into account this summer.
PHASE 1 FUNDING
On March 15, the morning after the storm, the United Way Board issued up to $100,000 from its reserves to support Phase 1 of funding for agencies providing immediate response to the disaster. Funds were used or dispersed to the following:
- Aries Pharmacy – $483.24 to cover the cost of 21 prescriptions for seven tornado victims.
- Liberty Roofing – $30,000 to provide roofing materials and repairs for six uninsured victims.
- Logan County Board of Developmental Disabilities – has spent $8,315.66 of a $10,000 allocation to cover the basic needs of nine of their affected clients with developmental disabilities.
- Logan County Cancer Society – $2,574.60 to cover the cost of lost medication/supplies for cancer patients.
- Mary Rutan Foundation – $9,337.78 – to purchase and deliver generators for use in the immediate aftermath in the Indian Lake region.
- Mary Rutan Foundation – $2,839.58 to cover the cost of prescription medication and copays for victims.
- Peak of Hope Homeless Shelter – has spent $16,764.65 of a $25,000 allocation for temporary hotel stays for 30 medically fragile victims unable to utilize community emergency shelters.
- RTC Services – $1,715.38 to provide 45 free rides of transportation for victims who lost their cars.
- TCN Behavioral Health – $5,000 to cover basic needs for their affected mental health clients.
- United Way – $1,636.16 – to purchase equipment and supplies to set up two Multi-Agency Resource Centers in Lakeview and Russells Point.
- United Way – $300 – Gas cards for generators.
- United Way – $233.81 – to rent and deliver portable storage units to downtown Lakeview.
- United Way – $139.41 – a floodlight for a materials distribution point in downtown Lakeview.
