The Help Sullivan Recover Fund consists of 970 gifts, amounting to just over $1 million to help citizens rebuild their homes.
(Isabella Vesperini / WFIU-WTIU)
Four months after a tornado destroyed numerous homes in Sullivan, the city hosted a public forum to explain how and when tornado relief will be distributed.
The Wabash Valley Community Foundation and United Way of the Wabash Valley combined to create the Help Sullivan Recover Fund. The fund consists of 970 gifts, amounting to just over $1 million to help citizens rebuild their homes.
Richard Payonk, volunteer director of the coalition in Sullivan, said the city is using the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster model, which is dependent on donor intent. This means prioritizing those who are in the “area of greatest need” and maximizing the funds available.
The city has 195 cases of citizens needing support; there are only four volunteer case managers that are available to work with those citizens and decide which ones need immediate assistance the most.
Those who have taken advantage of other resources available, such as seeking assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, likely will get aid first if they still have unmet needs.
“The goal of the Help Sullivan Recover Fund probably isn’t what everyone thinks: we’re not trying to build back to exactly what you had,” Payonk said. “The goal is to put housing over the people that is safe sanitary, secure and functional.”
Some citizens are upset about how the city decides who gets support first. Funds are allocated based on greatest need, meaning those who can afford to repair the damage on their own after applying for benefits will get their share of funds later on.
Some insurance companies are not covering the costs; other homeowners are paying for repairs out of their retirement funds. Reimbursement is not guaranteed either; it depends on existing funds available after all needs have been met.
“Our ability as a people to help each other tends to get hindered by maps,” Payonk said. “Maps draw little lines on property and say this is this county, this is that county, this is this city, this is this neighborhood. But those little imaginary lines don't really exist.”
Other citizens say their case managers are hard to reach. They are not happy with how long the city is taking to start repairs and contact those who need help. The city plans to address the first group of unmet needs in the next three weeks.
Clint Lamb, mayor of Sullivan, said much misinformation has been shared around how the city is dealing with the damage of the tornado. Lamb says some people preyed on those who were emotionally vulnerable after the tornado; they created conspiracy theories, falsely claiming that Lamb was profiting off of the relief funds.
“We’ve never gone through anything quite like this before,” Lamb said. “It doesn’t just happen at the federal level, it happens right here at home.”
Lamb said it is unclear when things will go back to normal. The city is still gathering data and figuring out how to address everyone’s needs.
“We’re here for the long game, and that’s to continue to revitalize people, their homes, physically, emotionally, spiritually,” Lamb said.
You can donate on the Wabash Valley Community Foundation website.
