CONTACT:
Michele Virnig
Director of Communications
Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church
(888) 240-7328
Federally-funded Program has helped hundreds of homeowners
Sun Prairie, WI — Last fall, the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church was selected to administer federal funds to help Wisconsinites whose homes were damaged during the floods and storms of 2008. Working in collaboration with Project Recovery’s case workers in 30 counties, the 2008 Flood Recovery Program (FRP) staff has helped 530 families and has provided almost $6M of aid directly to homeowners affected by the 2008 floods. The last cases approved for financial assistance are being finalized before the Program officially ends on September 30, 2010.
The 2008 Flood Recovery Program was initially granted $4.8M to use for direct homeowner assistance, but that amount increased to almost $6M as a greater need for recovery aid was demonstrated. According to Steve Zekoff, Program Director for FRP, “I am very pleased that we have been able to provide the additional aid, over and above what we initially thought we would have to spend, to residents who needed help with remaining unmet needs from the 2008 storms. While we hoped that most people would have recovered by now from the natural disaster of 2008, it has been heartening to help so many people who needed it and had nowhere else to turn.”
According to Bishop Linda Lee of the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church, “One of our goals as United Methodists is to help those that need assistance and to live our faith enthusiastically,” said Lee. “It has been a privilege to have an opportunity to put our faith into practice, and work side-by-side with a wide variety of partners, including Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (WIVOAD) and Project Recovery.”
Homeowners interviewed agree the assistance from the FRP has helped them tremendously. A homeowner in Columbia County stated, “Getting our basement repaired and usable again is wonderful. For almost two years, we dealt with a wet basement. Thanks to the FRP, our carpeting, drywall and sump pump have now been replaced, and a new drainage tile system was also put in that is incredible. It rained this summer and I knew I was going to be safe and dry – finally.”
Another homeowner in Adams County was hit especially hard in the summer of 2008. He described, “We were actually hit twice by flooding in 2008. Thanks to an FRP case worker who came to our house to see what she could do to help us, we wound up having our furnace, humidifier, hot water heater, sump pump and drainage tile replaced. We are so happy that the Program could help us.”
NOTE: Additional testimonials attached
About the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church
The Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church is headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. It provides a connection for ministry linking all United Methodist clergy and the 480 congregations across Wisconsin. For more information, visit: http://www.wisconsinumc.org or contact Director of Communications Michele Virnig at: mvirnig@wisconsinumc.org or 1-888-240-7328.
About the Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (WIVOAD)
Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters is a coalition of more than 25 voluntary, nonprofit organizations that respond to disasters as part of their overall mission. WIVOAD members share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle – preparation, response and recovery – and help disaster survivors and their communities return to stability. Some of the members of Wisconsin VOAD include: American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Impact 2-1-1, Lutheran Social Services, MN-WI Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Disaster Response, The Salvation Army, United Methodist Committee on Relief, WI Council of Churches, Aid Matrix, and more. For more information, contact Keith Lang, President of WIVOAD, and Director of Project Recovery, at: klang@lss.org or (608) 834-4444.
The 30 Counties in Southern Wisconsin Designated as Disaster Areas in 2008 Include: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago.
Additional Testimonials from Homeowners in the 30-County Area
The 2008 Flood Recovery Program case manager and Project Recovery outreach worker helped me through some very difficult times this year. Because of their compassion, hard work and financial assistance, I was able to get my septic system and well repaired, and my basement waterproofed – which helped restore my health and emotional well-being. I would like to express my deepest appreciation and a thank you to all who have helped. Best regards. – Homeowner in Marquette County
The 2008 floods in June caused a great deal of damage to the underbelly of our mobile home. My husband also passed away that same summer, so I felt overwhelmed and without hope. The case manager from the Program was so nice and very compassionate. She lined up a local mobile home repair company to re-do the entire underbelly, which included taking out the old wet and moldy insulation and ruined barrier. I’m so happy — I now have a safe home with better ventilation and heating. I can’t say enough good things about the Program. -Homeowner in Juneau County
We are so pleased that we received help through the 2008 Flood Recovery Program. Our case manager helped us get an efficient and effective pellet stove to heat our house, which we needed because our woodstove chimney settled during the flooding and we couldn’t use it anymore. We love it. – Homeowners in Iowa County
The 2008 flooding was devastating for my sister. Because of illness and lack of income, she had no choice but to wade through the water that engulfed her house. Harmful mold set in, which meant the interior of the house had to be rebuilt. The 2008 Flood Recovery Program has been a salvation to her. Caring and knowledgeable case managers not only provided assistance with replacing ruined furnishings and carpeting, rebuilding her home and improving her overall living conditions, but also helped to restore her trust in programs like yours and made her wishes come true. Sincere thanks. – Family of a homeowner in Marquette County
I heard about the 2008 Flood Recovery Program through my neighborhood association and I’m so glad I did! Everyone I talked to — the case managers and the contractor — were all so caring and helpful. They made sure I had all the information I needed to get the work done and provide me with a dry basement. I am appreciative, not only to the Program, but to everyone involved. I cannot say thank you enough. – Homeowner in Dane County
The 2008 Flood Recovery Program has helped us tremendously. Without their help, we could not have repaired the damage or removed the mold that we had suffered from the flood. A special thanks to the administrators of the Program for all their help. – Homeowner in Rock County
