Lee, Charlotte county residents receive $430,000 in assistance from fellow Floridians
(The Center Square) – The Biden administration last month rejected Florida’s request for assistance on behalf of mostly seniors living in Lee and Charlotte counties impacted by two tornadoes that hit in January. While the state appealed, it also launched an online portal and Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraged Floridians to donate to help.
In less than one month, Floridians donated $1.1 million.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) on Friday distributed $430,000 to 43 households impacted by the tornadoes as a result of the generosity of Floridians.
“While the federal government is still considering whether or not Floridians deserve assistance, we’ve been actively working to provide relief to these survivors,” DeSantis said. “This first round of checks, in addition to the other state programs we’ve made available, will help southwest Florida continue through the recovery process.”
The state partnered with the Charlotte Community Foundation to collect and disburse donations for disaster survivors.
“We hope that with this aid, in conjunction with local efforts, our neighbors begin to feel some sort of relief and restored faith in the humanitarian process,” Charlotte Community Foundation CEO Ashley Maher said. “Southwest Florida is full of compassionate and generous individuals who never turn their back to lending a hand to a neighbor in a need. Gov. DeSantis, FDEM, Volunteer Florida, the many groups that we’ve had the opportunity to work with, and the numerous donors, we thank you for allowing Southwest Florida to once again, stand together and for showing that when philanthropy is met with passion, there will always be hope.”
The state continues to work with individuals who have requested assistance through the portal: FloridaDisaster.org/Assistance. All donations to the portal are tax deductible.
Those seeking assistance can also request it through the same portal.
“I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made toward helping impacted residents recover from these tornadoes,” FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said. “We still have more work to do, but the Division remains committed to coordinating assistance for these disaster survivors and ensuring they’re being connected with all available resources.”
The funds raised through the portal are in addition to the $7.4 million made available by the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) through the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Earlier this month, DEO announced $7.1 million was available in CSBG and LIHEAP funding. Since then, Lee County has received an additional $300,000 in CSBG funding to address additional unmet needs.
This is in addition to the more than $2 million DeSantis said was available through the State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP). Homeowners whose properties sustained damage directly related to the Jan. 16 tornadoes are encouraged to contact their local SHIP office for assistance.
Additional recovery resources for residents of both counties are available online.
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