A city board on Monday reviewed grant requests for tornado recovery efforts and agreed that further review is needed for all but one.
Last week, representatives of 15 organizations gave presentations explaining the purpose for their funding requests from the Joplin Tornado First Response Fund that total about $907,000.
A city-appointed board of trustees must review the requests, decide whether they meet the purposes stated in the fund’s bylaws, and arrive at an amount it thinks it can award to help achieve the stated purposes.
On Monday, the board discussed whether it could pare some of the requests so that money can be provided to most of the projects or programs proposed since the total exceeds the balance in the fund, which is about $450,000.
The trustees agreed that a request by St. Bernard Project Inc., also known as Rebuild Joplin, for $225,300 was worthy in view of the organization’s effort to repair or rebuild houses for which owners did not have insurance or enough insurance to do the work. It requested a matching share of a grant for AmeriCorps to station 50 youth corps workers in Joplin for two years to work as site supervisors.
But the board had determined shortly after its inception that it was limited to funding requests for one year. In view of that, and the other requests to be funded, that might limit any award to about $50,000 for Rebuild Joplin, members said.
The board discussed the possibility of allowing the $50,000 asked for by the Joplin Area Long-Term Recovery Committee to pay for goods or furnishings to help those who were rendered homeless get households started again.
Members also discussed funding some of the smaller grant requests, such as $20,000 for the Multi-Agency Warehouse to pay a supervisor for the next six months to track inventory and supervise distribution of building materials and household goods for the rebuilt houses.
The requests, other than one by Missouri Southern State University, met either with tentative approval by the board or agreement to further discuss the purpose or the grant amount at the next meeting.
The MSSU Health Sciences Department asked for $47,464 to train two faculty members at each of Joplin’s 17 public schools in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Half of that amount would have to be used to pay wages to the faculty members for the time spent in training. The board questioned how those certifications would be renewed as required if funding was available for only one year. Board members also noted that most schools have nurses or others on hand who are already trained. The board agreed to not advance that request. There also were questions about whether the school district would participate in providing funds.
More information is to be sought from several of the organizations before more action is taken on their requests. One is the Joplin Family Worship Center, which requested $206,900 to pay for supplies and utilities to feed and house volunteers scheduled to arrive in Joplin this year to work in the tornado zone. Another is the Care to Learn agency, which asked for $60,000 to pay for storm shelters for those who meet certain eligibility requirements.
Applications by the Joplin Family Y, Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Haven, Art Feeds, the Ozark Center’s Turnaround Ranch and the Area Agency on Aging are still to be considered, though some at reduced funding.
Next meeting
THE BOARD will further discuss the grant applications at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at City Hall, 602 S. Main St.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Tornado fund board discusses grant amounts; One request to be cut
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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Farmers Insurance teams up with Rebuild Joplin
Farmers Insurance announced Tuesday that the company will team up with Rebuild Joplin for an initiative to help the community complete its recovery efforts. The company already has placed one of its executives in Joplin, and it is pledging additional funds and volunteer hours by company workers to go toward the city’s recovery.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Joplin man continues struggle to recover two years after tornado
As the Joplin tornado passed overhead, sweeping the house at 2430 S. Pennsylvania Ave. away in its wake, there was a moment of calm. Delbert Mcguirk was on his back in the basement, where he had sought shelter along with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren. In that moment of relative quiet, he stared up into the eye of the tornado.
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Storms cause damage throughout the Four States
Four-State Area residents hunkered down twice Monday to ride out tornadoes and powerful spring storms, then went to work cleaning up. The worst damage from Monday night’s storm was being reported in Ottawa County, Okla., near Wyandotte. That followed a report of an EF-1 tornado early Monday morning near Carthage.
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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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