Faith-Based Long Term Relief for Tornado Victims

Two new faith-based groups will provide long term relief for victims of the March tornadoes.

Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation Director John Bell said the United Methodist Council on Relief and Inspiritus will be surveying survivors and gathering info for the Benevolence Committees. These two groups specialize in long term relief. Which Bell said, is part of the recovery effort’s relief transition.

“These case managers will be reaching out to them about the resources those two groups have to offer, and both of them have a lot of experience in long term disaster recovery, specifically with dealing with FEMA and dealing with insurance and construction needs,” Bell said.

Bell said victims who connect through recovery Facebook groups, as well as text and call groups will get alerts to which case workers will be contacting them. Bell said this has to do with victim feedback, where months later victims are still seeking long term resolutions.

“Initially a lot of victims filled out paper work with FEMA or they filed their insurance or they did whatever and they said, ‘we’re fine, we’re good,’ and now it’s been several months later and things still aren’t resolved,” Bell said.

The way victim’s needs are changing is why Bell said a long term committee exists. As well, as giving a chance for new non-profits to step in with a different skill set.

“If you’ve got volunteer groups and you say, ‘we know how to use hammers and nails and we can do easy construction jobs like building ramps and stuff,’ we’re trying to get all that on paper on who the point of contact is and what kind of services you’re willing to provide for free,” Bell said.

If victims still have any questions they can reach out to Cookeville Regional Charity at (931)-783-2003.