NASHVILLE, TN — A hotline to help Davidson County residents affected by the March 3 tornadoes has been created to assist in recovery.
Those experiencing an unmet need as a result of the tornado are encouraged to call the Tornado Recovery Connection at 615-270-9255. The line will be open 24/7, and unanswered calls will be returned within 24 hours. Translation services are available for non-English-speaking residents.
The hotline is made possible through the efforts of the newly formed Long Term Recovery Group, which is composed of dozens of Nashville-area nonprofits that have convened to assist in rebuilding the lives of tornado victims.
FEMA/SBA Deadline Set for May 4
Any Middle Tennessean who suffered damage from the March 3 tornadoes has only one week to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to qualify for financial recovery assistance. The deadline is Monday, May 4.
FEMA disaster assistance is available to any homeowner, renter, nonprofit, or business owner whose personal property was destroyed or damaged as a result of the tornadoes. Anyone who is approved for disaster assistance does not have to repay the amount, nor does it have any effect on individuals who are on Social Security, TennCare or any other safety-net program.
Applicants can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app or call the helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585 from 6 am to 9 pm daily. Multilingual operators are available.
SBA’s loan programs provide disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate or personal property. SBA customizes loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s circumstances, easing the burden of recovery.
Individuals and businesses may apply for an SBA Disaster Loan online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov. For more information, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
CFMT Deploys 5 More Tornado Relief Grants; $3.1M total
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee announces five additional grants this week totaling $90,800 to area nonprofits and organizations helping victims affected by the deadly tornadoes of March 3.
The Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund advisory committee approved the latest round of grants last week.
The grant application is open and continuing to accept applications for immediate relief needs (food, shelter and short-term housing, clothing, clean up and debris removal, and financial assistance). The Fund is also now accepting requests for recovery assistance (legal, mental health/counseling, permanent housing, rebuilding/construction, and case management).
To date, 98 grants to 88 organizations have been deployed from the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, totaling nearly $3.1 million ($3,099,900). For more information, go to www.tornadoresponse.com.
To make a gift in support of Nashville and Middle Tennessee recovery efforts, visit www.cfmt.org.
The latest round of grants are:
Nashville General Hospital Foundation ($30,000) to provide Food Pharmacy totes to feed tornado victims
Matthew Walker Health Center ($30,000) to provide physical and mental health counseling to tornado victims.
Heritage Academy ($14,800) to provide peer support counseling groups for those directly and indirectly affected by the March 3 tornado in Putnam and surrounding counties.
Heart of the Cumberland, Inc. ($10,000) to provide peer support counseling groups for those directly or indirectly affected by the March 3 tornado in Putnam and surrounding counties.
Green Hill Baptist Church ($6,000) to provide immediate assistance to tornado victims in the Mt. Juliet area with prepared meals, food boxes and personal items such as toothpaste, diapers, etc.)
In other news from The Community Foundation:
In its existing partnership with CFMT, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) has added $8 million to the $10 million in ChildcareTennessee’s Disaster/Emergency Response and Recovery Grant.
These additional funds will bridge the gap between what essential workers, who are now eligible to receive TDHS subsidies, can pay and what child care programs are losing in tuition, so that both get financial relief.
To further support families, Department of Education child care agencies already participating in the TDHS certificate program are now included in the grant.
An initiative of The Community Foundation, ChildcareTennessee continues to administer $5 million in Support and Enhancement Grants. TDHS-licensed programs can submit applications to improve and enhance their programs.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. CFMT works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals. The organization has distributed more than $1 billion in grants since its inception in 1991.
For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.
