NEWTON, NC – Catawba County Emergency Services encourages residents to be aware of local and state resources available to help residents with recovery and clean-up efforts following last week’s damaging storms.
For residents with limited financial resources for debris removal or home clean up, the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and Crisis Cleanup, a not-for-profit disaster recovery organization, are working to connect residents with reputable and vetted relief agencies in the area. Services include chainsaw work, debris clean up, roof tarping and flood clean out. The services are provided free of charge by agencies in their network, but service is not guaranteed due to the overwhelming need.
From now through November 30, 2017, NC 2-1-1 call centers are registering residents for assistance through this program. Residents may dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162 to determine if they are eligible for services and get added to the registry.
According to Aaron Titus, Executive Director of Crisis Cleanup, “We are offering this service through November 30, 2017 to help facilitate cleanup by various aid agencies standing by to assist those affected by the storms. NC 2-1-1 will notify multiple relief agencies that survivors need help. Response times will vary, so we ask residents their patience while the teams receive and organize their response to help.”
NC 2-1-1 is provided by United Way of North Carolina with the support of local United Ways throughout the State. The information and referral service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and provides free, confidential, and multilingual help to citizens in all 100 counties of North Carolina. In addition to registering for storm clean-up, callers can ask for assistance with referrals for other needs such as food, clothing, healthcare, and other basic needs. The database of resources is also available at www.nc211.org.
