They lost homes to Hurricane Florence. How you can help make their holiday brighter
A single mother with multiple sclerosis, Cribb lost her rental home in
"It was pouring on the inside of the house as well as the outside," Cribb said.
Three months after Hurricane Florence struck
Many remain displaced, living in extended-stay hotels or with family, while awaiting repairs to their homes. Others have moved back into moldy homes, according to officials with nonprofit disaster relief organizations working in the region.
State, county and local officials say recovering from
Thus far, more than 5,000 South Carolinians have been approved for individual disaster assistance -- totaling more than
"Recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence remain an active process,"
With the holidays nearing, organizations like
Cribb is among up to 600 families in
Unable to qualify for federal assistance but advised her rental house was unsuitable to live in, the 40-year-old tax preparer has spent the last week in a hotel room with her 15-year-old daughter, who, she said, suffers from asthma and bronchitis.
Cribb is waiting to move into a new rental home elsewhere in the county. The move is expected to cost her about
"It's taking everything out of my paycheck just to pay rent and utilities," she said.
"It's one less thing I really have to worry about," Cribb said of receiving the food assistance. "It's the holidays and the last thing I want my kids to do is see me stressed about anything."
'You lost your life, essentially, twice in two years'
As of Tuesday, Harvest Hope has distributed about 2.6 million pounds of supplies, including more than 2.1 million meals, valued at
"We've already surpassed what we did in 2016 (from Hurricane Matthew)," said
Many of those areas hit by
"You lost your life, essentially, twice in two years," Resch said. "Especially where we have seniors on fixed incomes, that got hit in the recession, and families, already living paycheck to paycheck, it's going to take time to get things back to normal."
Harvest Hope has been working with state and local long-term recovery offices to assist elderly, disabled and low-income individuals, and connect them to various resources and support services.
"We want to take a little bit of burden off of them for the holidays, and let them know while they wait for assistance, someone is thinking of them and still working on their behalf," said
Two thousand homes suffered flood damage in
"Many of these residents face serious personal financial challenges in making the necessary repairs to their homes," McMaster wrote in a letter to
McMaster requested more than
'It is a marathon, not a sprint'
Across
Overall, more than 270 S.C. road and bridge sites, largely in the
"Repairs have started, but ... it is a marathon, not a sprint, for the recovery process," said Smith of the
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-- As of
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-- The National Flood Insurance Program had received 1,381 claims and paid out more than
SOURCE: S.C. Disaster Recovery Office
Food distribution
What: Holiday food and toy distribution
Who:
Where:
When:
Those seeking assistance will need a driver's license to show proof of residence.
How to help
Donations can be made securely online or at any of the following Harvest Hope locations:
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For more information, go to www.harvesthope.org
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