Aid for Toad Hop still coming in

The Tribune-Star

July 24, 2008 11:43 pm

— Mike Booe of the Community Action Program Inc. of Western Indiana is continuing his efforts to assist residents of Toad Hop, who were devastated by the June 7 flood.
During a visit to Toad Hop on Thursday, Booe met informally with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “These people [in Toad Hop] feel they’ve been lost in the shuffle,” Booe said.
Booe hopes to spend one or two days a week in Toad Hop and secure temporary office space so he can assist residents and help them obtain the services they need, he said.
He also is reminding residents that there is an Aug. 11 deadline to register with FEMA and apply for individual assistance.
Booe is working on transportation arrangements so that Toad Hop residents can be taken to the Disaster Recovery Center at Booker T. Washington Community Center.
The goal is to ensure that Toad Hop flood victims have registered with FEMA by the Aug. 11 deadline, he said. Also, by taking residents to the center, they will be able to talk one-on-one with FEMA representatives and have their many questions answered.
A major concern for Toad Hop residents is shorter-term housing until they have answers about permanent housing arrangements, he said.
Joe Kimble, a FEMA representative, said FEMA will talk to the appropriate local units of government to get a better understanding of the issues affecting Toad Hop.
“We’ll do everything we can do for these folks,” Kimble said. “We’ll give everything we can under the law.”
Mel Jenkins, a FEMA field public information officer, said after the meeting that “there is an ongoing effort to get as much service as possible to the residents of Toad Hop.” Those efforts will likely involve various units of government and not-for-profits.
Community Action Program Inc. of Western Indiana is a not-for-profit agency that normally serves Vermillion, Parke, Benton, Fountain, Warren and Montgomery counties. It is based in Covington.