More help for fire recovery

FINN ROCK: "Lots of people don't like government and might be a little bit intimidated by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)," Dametrice Muhammad feels. She's a disaster case manager supervisor for Catholic Charities of Oregon (CCO) and was part of a wide-ranging group of agencies and officials who spent last Saturday offering to help people recover from the effects of the Holiday Farm Fire.

Since wildfires destroyed entire towns around the state in September of 2020, CCO has been providing financial and emergency financial assistance, as well as counseling services to help the people recover physically, mentally, emotionally, fiscally, and spiritually.

"We come in after FEMA has left and are probably going to be here until September of 2022," Dametrice says.

What could that mean to someone who was wiped out by the fire? A lot less bureaucracy according to Dametrice.

CCO can help people with financial assistance to cover almost any kind of loss she says, including things as varied as new dentures, wheelchair ramps, furniture, or replacing burned vehicles that might not have been covered under liability insurance.

To qualify, people need to have some sort of basic ID, be able to verify where they lived before and after the fire, and provide a measure of their income. That last item, however, does not affect the level of assistance that will be granted. "It's not income-based," according to Dametrice.

In addition to a financial boost, CCO also offers help with navigating insurance claims or appeals to FEMA., as well as rebuilding, rental, or relocation assistance.

To learn more call 503-688-2694 or email [email protected].