NMI govt allocates $303K to Soudelor recovery efforts

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and other community supporters at the proclamation of Soudelor Commemoration Week on Aug. 1, 2016. (Contributed Photo)

CARE CNMI would like to recognize the support of the CNMI government in the island’s long-term recovery from Typhoon Soudelor.

Since September 2015, CARE CNMI has worked to build a resilient community and to identify, facilitate, and deliver resources and long-term support to address the unmet needs of individuals and families impacted by disaster. After spending months clearing debris from homes, the organization shifted its focus in March 2015 to helping families repair their homes and rebuild safe and secure structures.

In August 2016, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres pledged that the CNMI government would support Typhoon Soudelor long-term recovery. The government’s way of supporting long-term recovery is to fund the CARE program, which serves the public interest.

To fulfill that promise, Torres allocated $303,000 to CARE CNMI in the 2016 CNMI government budget. These funds were then approved by the CNMI Legislature to help families recover from Soudelor. The organization has now received this appropriation, in addition to $95,000 from the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s offices in 2016 as well as housing provided by the government for our volunteer construction laborers from September to December 2016.

Over the next year, CARE will use these funds to continue to allocate resources to families in need of repair and rebuilding assistance, with priority going to those with individuals age 65+ or under 3, individuals with disabilities, and families below the poverty level. For more information on how CARE prioritizes families in need of assistance, visit http://carecnmi.org/about/faq.

Since after the typhoon, 365 families have received some form of assistance for their recovery from CARE. Within that population, 140 families have received building materials, labor, or a combination of these resources through the CARE Repair and Rebuild program to build stronger and safer homes. While there are 140 families who have benefited from our Repair and Rebuild Program, there are still 200 who have an immediate need for repair and rebuild work today.

To learn more about CARE’s operations and what the CARE network has done to help the community, view the 2016 CARE Impact Report at tinyurl.com/2016careimpactreport or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carecnmi. (PR)