A young volunteer hands information to Dante Fillyau during a free hot breakfast event held in West Park, Friday Sept. 15, by Rep. Shevrin Jones to help residents affected by Hurricane Irma.
If you are still in need of assistance after Hurricane Irma, here are some resources that may assist in giving and receiving help with relief and recovery:
HandsOn Broward: The local volunteer hub has stepped up to offer the support of its many helping hands as volunteers from all corners of the community turn out to distribute water, serve meals, clean up parks and support the recovery needs of nonprofits. Organizations seeking volunteer support and individuals who are interested in volunteering should visit HandsOn Broward’s website at www.HandsOnBroward.org or call 954-233-1300. Donations to support HandsOn Broward’s programs and relief efforts can be made at www.handsonbroward.org/donors.
TheMiami Foundation:The Hurricane Relief Fund at The Miami Foundation will support relief efforts to help families, communities and businesses rebuild and recover. Visit www.miamifoundation.org to donate.
Power RestorationMonitoring: FPL has provided the following link to monitor your power restoration ETA on the following website: www.fpl.com/my-account/weboutage.html#wors/mainTab/phoneTab. If you have a downed power line on or near your property, call to report it immediately at 1-8004OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) Do not attempt to move or touch it!
IRS Extension:Filing for some personal and business tax returns has been extended until January 31, 2018. For additional information visit the IRS website and consult your tax professional. Visit www.irs.gov/newsroom/help-for-victims-of-hurricane-irma.
$40 Million in Disaster Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor has initially committed up to $40 million in Disaster Dislocated Worker Grant funding to Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in disaster response efforts after Hurricane Irma. Check out the US DOL www.dol.gov/general/hurricane-recovery for updates on how to apply for disaster unemployment assistance.
LowInterest Disaster Loans: The Small Business Administration provides low-interest disaster loans to help small businesses, homeowners and renters recover from declared disasters. Check your eligibility at www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/hurricane-irma, or call 1-800-659-2955.
(TTY: 1-800-877-8339)
FEMA Assistance: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is encouraging individuals and families to be alert for false rumors, scams, identity theft and fraud. For resources on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from disaster fraud, visit www.fema.gov/hurricane-irma-rumorcontrol. Residents who sustained losses in the nine declared counties can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Res Storm GUIDE idents who suffered damages from the storm in other counties may register now, and if their county is later included in the declaration, the application will be processed automatically. If you rent or own a home but don’t have insurance, you may be eligible for disaster assistance through FEMA. Check your eligibility at the website above, or call 1-800621-3362 (FEMA), or on the FEMA Mobile App.
(TTY: 1-800-462-7585)
Verizon Charging Stations: The mobile phone company is partnering with the City of North Miami Beach to set up charging stations for residents who still don’t have power following Hurricane Irma: • A Wireless Emeregency Communications Center (WECC) is set up at City Hall – 17011 NE 19 Ave.
• A Charging House on Wheels (CHOW) is set up in the parking lot of a CVS at 1825 NE 185 St.
These mobile units offer device charging, wireless phones, tablets and other devices for residents to contact friends, family and others over the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Both will be operational from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. All South Florida companyowned Verizon stores, except the Coral Gables location, are open and employees are ready to serve all those in the community.
UnitedWay of Broward County and the Salvation Army: These organizations are collecting personal items for those who have been impacted by Hurricane Irma. These items include:
• General hygiene products • Feminine hygiene products • Baby diapers • Water • Non-perishable food items • Cleaning products and kits • Gift cards • New towels • New blankets Those interested in donating items should contact Jenelle Aragon, United Way of Broward County at 954-308-9262 or 786-514-1734 or email jaragon@unitedwaybroward.org for more information on when and where to drop off the donated items.
DonateDollars:The Community Foundation, Jewish Federation and United Way of Broward County have joined forces and launched a collaborative disaster recovery and rebuilding coalition to help support the community. The organizations will collect donations at www.browardcares.org. 100% of these donations will be directed to areas critically impacted by Hurricane Irma. This will be done through the provision of grants to select nonprofits that provide disaster recovery programs or support those in need. For more information, visit www.unitedwaybroward.org/browardcare. PLEASE NOTE: Updates on more relief efforts will be provided online as they are received. Some relief efforts mentioned in previous articles are still ongoing. Food and other essential items are usually distributed on a first come, first served basis.
No Comment