Needs are shifting as recovery efforts continue after last week’s tornado in central Arkansas.
The City of Little Rock’s family shelter remains open on at the Immanuel Baptist Church City Center at 315 N. Shackleford Road, with resources also being provided at the Josephine Pankey Community Center at 13700 Cantrell.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. urged residents to continue to support relief efforts, as some homeowners could be displaced for several months.
“And what many of us aren’t talking about is, some homes may have been paid for, close to being paid off, and that delta, that gap of what they’re going to be worth and what they may or may not get from insurance is going to be totally different,” Scott said. “So really, housing becomes an even more critical policy need that we have to focus on from the City of Little Rock perspective.”
Scott made his comments at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Little Rock on Tuesday. Brian Burton, CEO of the Central Arkansas Food Bank, says they’re in need of nonperishable items as their food stores have fallen to the lowest level in their history.
“We need pop-top type of food, small fruit cups, small cans of meat, things that are easy for people, peanut butter… we need to be thinking about ease of consumption right now,” Burton said.
Lori Arnold-Ellis, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Greater Arkansas, says her group continues to have a shelter open at Calvary Baptist Church at 5700 Cantrell Road. But, she says while the city is returning to some sense of normalcy, the effects of last week’s tornado will still be felt for some time.
“Housing is going to be a huge, huge issue… right now, this is personal, we all feel this. But we are human and we will move on, but these people who’ve lost their homes, they’re not moving on any time soon,” Arnold-Ellis said.
The Arkansas Realtors Association is also providing $1 million in disaster relief grants. Arkansans can apply for up to $2,000 to help offset recovery costs by calling (501) 225-2020. The city also continues to accept nonperishable food donations at the Little Rock Fire Department Training Academy building at 7000 Murray Drive.
The Arkansas Department of Commerce has also created a website for storm relief, available at this link. The site contains information about resources at all levels of government, including unemployment assistance, loans and information about insurance. The state Division of Workforce Services is also accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, with a deadline for applications of May 4.
Two more mobile assistance centers have been opened by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 1300 Pike Ave. in North Little Rock and at 702 U.S. Hwy. 64 in Wynne. A third remains open at the City of Little Rock’s family shelter on North Shackleford Road.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday called on the federal government to cover 100% of cleanup costs for the first 30 days after last Friday’s tornado. That’s in contrast to the current 75% cost-share currently being given my the federal government.
