People Helping People Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition

People Helping People Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition August 28, 2007

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Mission Statement • To Strengthen Area Wide Disaster Coordination in Buchanan County by – Sharing information – Simplifying resident access – Jointly resolving cases with unmet needs

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Definition of Disaster • Flood • Tornado • Windstorm, or as designated, that effects multiple households.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE • A disaster-caused serious, unmet need is something the household can not provide for themselves

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance May Include: • Either financial assistance or labor may be provided to eligible household to provide a safe living environment • Assistance will be provided only to restore or provide essential living space. • Assistance shall not be an upgrade of the applicant’s previous living condition.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance Will Not include: • Cash payment to the household. • Assistance with an on-going social issue. (Keeping the “wolf from the door” one more month) • Assistance with a pre-disaster condition. • Repairs or purchases of any vehicle with the exception of motorized wheelchairs. • Repairs to rental or investment property.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Application • The head of the household must submit a fully completed and signed application. Verifications requested by the Coalition must be provided. • Applicants must provide a signed Release of Information to the Coalition.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Application • Applicants must have applied and, been accepted for all other assistance available to them before receiving any assistance from the Coalition. (i. e. FEMA, Red Cross, Insurance)

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition ELIGIBILITY • Residency • Ownership Status • Financial Eligibility

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Residency • All eligible applicants must have been residents of Buchanan County during the designated disaster.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Ownership Status • Home Owner: Assistance is only available for a primary residence • Renter: Only non-structural assistance will be considered. • Businesses: Only businesses located in the home at the time of the disaster will be considered. • Non-profit agencies directly assisting disaster victims could be eligible to receive financial support from the Coalition.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Financial Eligibility • All applicants must provide proof of a clear financial hardship to the household as determined by the Coalition. • Households must either be not insured or under insured.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition COALITION STRUCTURE • Membership will consist of agencies that will act as case workers, and groups or agencies that have resources to offer to the Coalition for disaster victims. • All members of the Coalition must make a commitment to attend each scheduled case review meeting or send a designee who has the authority to make needed decisions at the meeting. • Individual Agencies shall act as Case Workers for the purpose of the Coalition’s assistance.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition COALITION STRUCTURE • A summary of cases to be reviewed will be sent out, by email or fax, to each member of the Coalition before the scheduled meeting to help each member prepare for the meeting. • Each Coalition member will sign a confidentiality statement at each meeting. • Only agencies and Coalition members listed on the signed release of information shall hear a case. • G. The Coalition will meet at least annually to review polices and finances.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition…… Agencies Involved Backbone Area Counseling Center City of Independence Buchanan County Community Services Baptist Churches (American) Buchanan County DHS Baptist Churches (Southern) Buchanan County Food Pantry Catholic Church Community Care (Public Health) Christian Reformed World Relief Committee FEMA Church of the Brethren Hawkeye Valley Area Agency On Aging Church World Services Other Needs Assistance (ONA) Episcopal Church Iowa State Extension Greater Buchanan County Foundation Hospice of Buchanan County Public Health (Sanitation) Kidsville Iowa Interfaith One Another Legal Service Corporation Operation Threshold Lutheran Church American Red Cross Mennonite Disaster Service SBA Disaster Loans Presbyterian Church United Way Salvation Army Volunteer Co-Op United Church of Christ Iowa Recovers 2004 United Methodist Lutheran Services of Iowa (LSI) Buchanan County Board of Supervisors Other: __________

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Why Did We Start? • May 17, 1999 – Flood #1…. DR-1277 -IA – 494 request for assistance through FEMA • July 24, 1999 – Flood # 2…. DR-1282 -IA – 105 homes damaged – 22 destroyed

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition How Did We Start? • Our 1 st official meeting was on 5/28/1999 – 28 people (7 were FEMA or State Reps) – Established our membership – Developed our policies and procedures • 6/17/1999 - questioned the need - no real cases yet – Tim Burke, FEMA, VOAD “It is too early – you are ahead of the game!” • FEMA / Red Cross / Insurance – People not ready to ask for help.

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition How Did We Start? • We met at least weekly from 5/28/1999 – 12/8/1999 • Our first official case reviewed was on 7/22/1999 • Processed over 100 cases • We used one full time and one part-time case worker

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Needs Assessment • Christian Reform World Relief Committee (CRWRC) – Otherwise know as Green Shirts

Needs assessment (weeks 8 -39)Needs Assessment is the process of going door to door in disaster affected communities to inventory unmet needs, and provide a database of these needs to a community organization. For More information go to: http: //www. crwrc. org/

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Needs Assessment • In 1999 we had 17 CRWRC Volunteers • They stayed for 12 days • We made arrangements at MHI to coordinate places for the volunteers to sleep • We provided 3 meals a day for all volunteers while they were with us. • We were provided a complete list of flood victims, and a prioritized list of their needs

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance Provided • July 1999 – distributed 50 window air conditioners donated from MHI • Oct 1999 – distributed 1133 sheets of sheet rock along with tape- mud and texture – estimated cost of $16, 995. 00 – Senator Grassley arranged for this donation – Buchanan County was only county in area ready to accept the donation and distribute to needy

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance Provided • Appeals paid due to Coalition intervention *** $130, 600. 00 ***

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance Provided One Year Later – May 17, 2000 • We Survived the Flood of 1999 – Anniversary Dinner – – Video presentation by KWWL Free dinner to all victims and volunteers Presentation from families that recovered Opportunity to share stories and begin closure

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Assistance Provided • Accepted the donation of a 2 story home donated by a local business • Partnered with Habitat for Humanity • Flood Family moved to a “newly moved” home in the spring of 2001

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Lessons Learned • By September 1999 – 11 other coalitions had adopted our policies and procedures • In 2004 flood – we added “How are we doing” to the beginning of our regular agenda

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Budget Information • 1999 – Administration – Purchased items/services – In-kind items/services – TOTAL $ 306. 00 $ 42, 555. 00 $259, 255. 00 $302, 116. 00

Buchanan County Disaster Recovery Coalition Budget Information • 2004 – Administration – Purchased items/services – In-kind items/services – TOTAL $ 2, 180. 00 $13, 196. 00 $29, 275. 00 $44. 651. 00