relief - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:14:33Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/reliefAlong the Coast: $50 million en route for pandemic rescuehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-50-million-en-route-for-pandemic-rescue2021-03-31T14:45:26.000Z2021-03-31T14:45:26.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>Southeastern Palm Beach County cities and towns are likely to receive a total of almost $50 million from the nearly $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill approved by Congress on March 10.<br />The massive American Rescue Plan earmarks $130.2 billion for local governments nationwide. Half the money goes to counties and half to cities.<br />Boca Raton stands to receive $11.22 million, Delray Beach $13.24 million and Boynton Beach $14.91 million, according to estimates released by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.<br />Briny Breezes can expect $240,000, Gulf Stream $410,000, Highland Beach $1.65 million, Lantana $5.29 million, Manalapan $200,000, Ocean Ridge $820,000 and South Palm Beach $620,000.<br />Palm Beach County’s share is $290.3 million.<br />But the money isn’t pouring in yet.<br />Municipal leaders as of March 26 were awaiting guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on how the money can be used and how they will submit eligible expenses.<br />The Treasury Department is required to send out 50% of municipal allocations within 60 days of the bill’s enactment. The second half will come about one year after the first disbursement.<br />Municipal leaders are thrilled that they will be compensated for expenses they incurred during the coronavirus pandemic.<br />“I’m pleased that Congress recognized the great need of cities for assistance in responding to the pandemic,” said Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer. “This act recognizes that cities like Boca Raton are on the front line of response and they should be reimbursed for our contributions to our public safety and recovery efforts.”<br />The pandemic put a strain on city budgets and many dipped into reserves to cover unexpected costs. <br />One of the biggest was overtime paid to police, fire-rescue and other essential personnel filling in for co-workers who contracted COVID-19 or had to quarantine when they were exposed to someone with the illness. <br />Cities lost revenue from typical sources such as user fees when people opted to shelter in their homes to stay healthy. They had to pay substantially more for personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves for employees and enhanced sanitation procedures.<br />Unexpected expenses included setting up inoculation sites in January when some cities received small allocations of vaccine from the county office of the Florida Department of Health.<br />Boynton Beach and Boca Raton spent city funds to give grants to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.<br />Before the bill was passed, cities were entitled to some relief from the 2020 federal CARES Act. Boca Raton, for one, received nearly $900,000.<br />Once municipalities receive guidance from the Treasury Department, they will make decisions on how to spend the federal money. <br />Boynton Beach has started the process. City Manager Lori LaVerriere told city commissioners on March 16 that she has formed an internal work group and will bring spending recommendations to the commission on April 6.<br />The Briny Breezes Town Council told Town Manager William Thrasher on March 25 to investigate how much the town might be eligible to receive and if it could be used to replace some problematic water mains.<br />Municipal leaders already have a general idea what they can use the money for because it is outlined in statutory language. The bill is intended to be flexible and gives governments until the end of 2024 to spend the money.<br />It allows cities and towns to use the funds to cover costs incurred responding to the public health emergency and to replace tax dollars lost during the pandemic.<br />It also supports economic recovery by allowing cities and towns to provide financial assistance to households, small businesses and nonprofits, and to impacted industries such as tourism, travel and hospitality. <br />They also can make investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, according to the house oversight committee.<br />The Treasury Department will send the money directly to cities with populations of at least 50,000. For smaller cities and towns, the money will go to the state to distribute. </p>
<p><em>Jane Smith, Mary Thurwachter and Dan Moffett contributed to this story.</em></p></div>Boca Raton: More rent, mortgage help available for COVID reliefhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-more-rent-mortgage-help-available-for-covid-relief2020-10-28T14:39:43.000Z2020-10-28T14:39:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>The city has received additional money that it is making available to residents who have fallen behind on their mortgage or rent because of COVID-19.<br />The state allocated the city $230,285 that it received through the federal CARES Act in mid-October. That is on top of $317,322 the city received in September.<br />The money is available to homeowners or renters who have experienced financial hardship, such as being laid off, furloughed or having work hours reduced.<br />The October allocation increases the amount that each household can receive from $5,800 to $10,000.<br />To be eligible for assistance, applicants must live within the city limits and have household income that does not exceed 120% of area median income. A family of four, for example, could have a maximum income of $105,360.<br />Additional requirements are listed on the city’s website under rental and foreclosure programs at <a href="https://myboca.us/1923/Rental-and-Foreclosure-Programs">https://myboca.us/1923/Rental-and-Foreclosure-Programs</a>. Those in need also can call 561-544-8667 (or 561-393-7043 for the hearing impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />Applications will be accepted online only on the city’s website through Nov. 30. All the money must be distributed by Dec. 30. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.<br />Residents who have received previous economic assistance from Palm Beach County or a nonprofit agency can receive additional money for months not covered in their previous requests.</p></div>Along the Coast: Hurricane Dorian reliefhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-hurricane-dorian-relief2019-10-02T16:00:00.000Z2019-10-02T16:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>Gathering supplies</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960898696,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960898696,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="230" alt="7960898696?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899471,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899471,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" width="410" alt="7960899471?profile=original" /></a></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><em>After Debora Whipple sent an email to her Ocean Ridge neighbors, saying she would collect donations for Hurricane</em> <em>Dorian victims in the Bahamas, the neighborhood stepped up, filling her garage with boxes holding everything from food to medical supplies. Patrol officers from the Ocean Ridge Police Department stopped by to check on progress and offered to assist, and when the Inlet Cay group learned that Nomad Surf Shop in the County Pocket had arranged for boats to deliver supplies to the islands, they joined forces to load a truck that took the donations to boats. The donations included more than 100 dolls for children. <strong>ABOVE LEFT</strong>: Inlet Cay resident Nancy Dunn carries one of five loads of donations she made to the relief effort. <strong>ABOVE RIGHT</strong>: Surf shop employees Evan Kuylenstierna and Dylan Armstrong hold dolls among supplies loaded outside the shop. <strong>Photos provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>Firefighters to the rescue</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960899653?profile=original" /></a><em>Boca Raton Fire Department Capt. Lange Jacobs and Senior Fire Inspector Jay Sumner load generators and other supplies into fishing boats at Silver Palm Park that they used to deliver aid to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the islands. Sumner is president of the Boca Raton Firefighter and Paramedic Benevolent Fund group that organized the efforts. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>Raising money</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960899494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960899494?profile=original" /></a><em>Sophia Nicholas and Sivan Morag, along with their mothers, other relatives and friends, raised $325 in just two hours at their lemonade stand on Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach to help people in need in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian. The girls, both first-graders at Unity School, were taking part in a school-wide recovery effort. Sivan’s mother, Aura, said, “This summer we took her for the first time to the Bahamas for a summer vacation, we stayed at the Atlantis resort and she was fascinated about the island and their sea animals. When she saw the news and pictures of the devastation of Hurricane Dorian she said, ‘OK, mom, now is time for my lemonade stand.’ She was asking to do a lemonade stand at our house before and I told her we will do it for a good cause. ” <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p></div>Editor’s Note: Near-neighbor Bahamas needs all we can give, dohttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-near-neighbor-bahamas-needs-all-we-can-give-do2019-09-05T14:30:00.000Z2019-09-05T14:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><span style="font-size:24pt;"><strong>O</strong></span>h, Abaco. Beautiful, friendly, carefree Abaco. I’m sure there will still be sunrises and sunsets, but now there will be very little in between. Even the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters are holding horrors — the remnants of homes and dreams and loved ones whose bodies will never be found.<br /> Jerry and I own a vacation cottage on Abaco. By the whims of wind and powers beyond comprehension, our tiny settlement saw little physical damage. <br /> Our neighbors who remained are safe, but cut off by impassible roads. And as is the nature of Bahamians, they are feverishly seeking ways to help their friends, family and neighbors who have lost everything — all as they search for any news of people still unaccounted for. <br /> The connection between Abaco and our South County area is strong. Many of you have second homes in the Bahamas. Maybe you keep a boat there, take your boat across the Gulf Stream to fish, or fly over to vacation when you can. <br /> Marsh Harbour is only 180 miles away, after all, and it’s less than 90 miles to Freeport: closer than Disney World, closer than Key West.<br /> These really are our neighbors who are suffering under conditions we simply can’t fathom. So what can we do to help?<br /> Our friends at Pete’s Pub in Little Harbour have posted the following organizations they’ve vetted (this is especially important in the Bahamas) for relief aid and assistance. I’ve added a couple more I know to be trustworthy. <br /> You may have others you are planning to organize or know about that are already collecting items for relief. Feel free to send information on them to me and I’ll post them on our website.<br /> Once this first critical wave of relief arrives, the most important thing we can all do is not forget Abaco and Grand Bahama. Their economy is based almost exclusively on tourism. So a year from now, or maybe two, plan to book your vacation to this beautiful island nation. <br /> If you have a home or boat there, hire Bahamians to make the repairs, regardless of what other resources you might afford to pull from other places. <br /> The people who live on these islands will need jobs to rebuild their lives. They’ll need our tourism to survive. Don’t forget them — this year, next year and in all the years to come. Help them be #BahamasStrong.</p>
<p><em>Mary Kate Leming, Editor</em></p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>You can help</strong></span></p>
<p>Below is a list of verified and trusted relief organizations compiled by Pete’s Pub in South Abaco.</p>
<p>• Air Unlimited/Florida Paints: <a href="http://www.helptheabacos.com">www.helptheabacos.com</a><br /> • Atlantic Aviation: <a href="http://www.atlanticaviation.com">www.atlanticaviation.com</a> <br /> • Atlantic Yacht and Ship: 850 NE Third St., No. 114, Dania Beach, FL 33004<br /> • Global Empowerment: <a href="http://www.globalempowermentmission.org">www.globalempowermentmission.org</a><br /> • Head Knowles: <a href="http://www.oasisbahamas.com/headknowles">www.oasisbahamas.com/headknowles</a><br /> • Ed Hinckley is accepting donations at his hanger at 2633 Lantana Road, Hanger 508, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33462<br /> • Neil Hingle, pilot, is accepting donations to fly over: 55 Pine Tree Lane, Jupiter, FL 33469<br /> • Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue: <a href="http://www.htvfr.org">www.htvfr.org</a></p>
<p><br /> For broader Bahamas relief, please consider: <br /> • Chef Andres’ World Central Kitchen: <a href="http://www.wck.org">www.wck.org</a> <br /> • Food for the Poor: <a href="http://www.foodforthepoor.org/newsroom/">www.foodforthepoor.org/newsroom/</a>…/crisis-dorian.html</p></div>