Increasingly frequent natural disaster due to global change has also increased the demand for grants for disaster relief. As the world becomes warmer and hotter, thanks to what so-called greenhouse gases, the climate change also influences the behavior of nature around us.
This change leads to more frequent natural disaster all over the world. Also, unpredicted and unusual occurrence of a disaster in what was a disaster-free area. After those disasters occur there will be disaster victims looking for the relief but don’t know where to look.
Disaster Relief Fund is from the Congress. Each year, the Congress will track it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, will manage it. Also, it is the main source of funding for the federal government’s disaster relief programs.
The authorization of this program is under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The role of the federal is to support the state, local, tribal, and even territorial governments to respond to and recover from variuos disasters.
Steps to Apply Grant for Disaster Relief
This article is intended to help those people by providing simple direction on how to apply for grants for disaster relief. Here is the step by step direction:
- Go online, visit this website http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal. If you write the website address correctly you will a questionnaire from the GovBenefits.gov. Fill in all the necessary information, don’t worry because all the information you give is confidential. You will find a welcome greeting as follow: “For your most comprehensive benefit search, take our confidential questionnaire!” click a button that says “start here”.
- After the questionnaire is completed, the website will display all available programs that you are eligible for.
- Another way to access the information for grants for disaster relief is to look under the “Quick Benefit Search”. After that, find a drop-down menu. It will show you a list of various benefits program offered at the website, such as: Counsel/Counseling, Disaster Relief, Education/Training, Food/Nutrition, Health Care, Disability Assistance, Grants/Scholarships/Fellowships, Housing Energy Assistance, Child Care/Child Support, and Career Development Assistance. Simply choose the disaster relief option.
- Next step is to check the program eligibility for you the complete a questionnaire.
- After you finish the questionnaire you will be given a list of programs you can apply. You just need to double-click the program that seems fit your need. Then, you will get a pop up giving you more detailed information on the grant’s benefits and how to apply for it
Grants for Disaster Relief From Government
This program provides loan and grant for home replacement, home repairs and temporary housing, medical expenses, funeral expenses and other miscellaneous expenses for people in need due to a natural disaster. Further information about this grant can be obtained at Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 245 Murray Lane Bldg. #410, Washington, District of Columbia 20523, telephone at 202-646-3943 and website at fema.gov. Here are some available grants for disaster relief from the government in the USA:
1. Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP)
This program helps individuals and communities so they can recover from the effects of major disaster, declared by President. They will get help through community-based outreach and psycho-educational centers.
The CCP provides short-term interventions, to offer counseling for the disaster survivors. From this activity, the survivors can understand the current situation, how to prevent stress, and promote the use of coping strategies. This program also provides emotional support and encourage linkages with other agencies and individuals to help survivors in the recovery stage.
Moreover, this program is only for individuals who are the resident of the area where the President declared a major disaster area. Or, they must be in the location at the time the disaster happened.
2. Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program
The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program offers benefits to unemployment individuals. They lose their job because of the declaration of the government related to declared major disaster. To meet the eligibility of this program, then you must be employment or self-employment and you have lost your job as the impact of Presidentially declaration in the United States, related to a major disaster.
The unemployed workers will get the payment if they cannot reach their office or place of work anymore after the declaration. Workers who cannot work because of injury or damaged place of work after the disaster may also get the benefit of this program.
3. Disaster Resources for Older Americans
The Administration on Aging (AoA) provides a website that tells a deep content of a various topics, programs and even assistance in form of services related to aging. The website has a Disaster Preparedness Manual intended for the Aging Network, so it gives valuable information in time of a disaster.
The resource page is for the older Americans and for the public. So, if you are an older America, a community service provider, a student, caregiver, or aresearcher, then you can access this valuable user-friendly information.
Grants for Disaster Relief Through Organizations
Besides from the GovBenefits.gov, you can also get the grants for disaster relief. You can directly applying to some non-profit organization or government agency known to provide those types of grants. Here we will also provide a list of federal grants for disaster relief and where you can apply for them:
Direct Housing-Natural Disaster Loans and Grants
This program offering loans and grant for the homeowner in a rural area affected by a natural disaster. For more information about this grant, you can contact the office at Single Family Housing Direct Loan Division, Rural Housing Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20250, call them at 202-720-1474 or visit the website at rurdev.usda.gov
Conclusion
Disaster relief grant is a very small portion of the discretionary budget. However, the spending keeps growing in the coming years.Congress has been providing resources for the major disasters based on needs.
Besides, there are more organizations including non profit organizations have some grants to help people in needs especially after disasters. This is very important to keep all the economical aspects are running. Also, to help them surviving when they have no job, when they have damaged home, or when they have injuries, so they can recover immediately.
References:
- GovBenefits.gov. govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal
- Federal Grants Wire: Natural Disaster Loans and Grants. federalgrantswire.com/direct-housingnatural-disaster-loans-and-grants.html
- Federal Grants Wire: Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households. federalgrantswire.com/federal-assistance-to-individuals-and-householdshousing.html
- Federal Grants Wire: Livestock Assistance Program. federalgrantswire.com/livestock-assistance-program.html
- Images: lionsclubs.org, hsi.org.au, whosno1.blogspot.com
- (https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45484)
