Neighbors create task force to help with tornado cleanup
WKOW, WISN, CNN
By Grace Ulch
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EVANSVILLE, Wisconsin (WKOW) — It’s been one week since historic tornadoes moved through south central Wisconsin. One touched down in Rock County, the other in Green County, and people are still working to help those impacted.
Rock County’s Emergency Management and Sheriff’s Office are connecting people with relief. Thirty homes were damaged in the storm and neighbors want to help.
“People were coming in and flooding [county officials] wanting to help in monetary ways and there was not a credible, trusted place to do that. So, they were unfortunately having to turn people away,” February Tornado Recovery Task Force Chair, Austin Schmelzer, said.
The task force was formed and started operating within the last three days. Task force members hope to provide monetary relief to families to fill the gap not covered by insurance, personal savings or disaster relief.
Schmelzer says their focus now is connecting with families who’ve been impacted.
“Our plan is to connect with each household and to kind of start creating a case of, what are the needs that you have right now? So, we hope to communicate those as they come up,” Becca Poock, treasurer of the task force, said.
Schmelzer says because the task force is only days old, they’re still working to determine specifics about what people need. But he says monetary donations are always helpful.
“We’re going to be filling the gaps whether it’s food, heat, shelter you name it, there’s a lot for us to fill in,” Schmelzer said. “The more donations the more [successful] this will be.”
There are multiple ways to donate through the February Tornado Recovery Task Force. You can make a donation at any Lake Ridge Bank, on Venmo or through their GoFundMe page.
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