“We are so thankful this local business, McKenzie Motors, understands the need for gifts like this $8,300.00, which enables the United Way of Santa Rosa County to address some of the needs of the 81 local families still suffering,” said Kyle Holley, United Way Santa Rosa development director.
Holley said when an disaster occurs locally, United Way Santa Rosa partner agencies, such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army, move in first, then local faith based partners begin mobilizing to triage needs in the short term, hoping to stabilize the community until State and Federal agency (FEMA) dollars arrive to meet most short terms needs. During this short term response, local United Way agencies support their funded agencies which see sharp increases in demand for services. Additionally, United Way agencies manage the overall tracking of incoming calls, assess and maintain the long term needs and position to advocate for outside resources of capital and labor to come creating capacity for long term recovery.
In the recent disaster case there appears to be unexpected resistance and limited outside resources available. “ While larger faith based organizations are sending in teams to assess local long term needs, I am beginning to hear from State and Federal agency representatives that case management workers, or the money to pay them, will likely not be coming, creating a crisis for our county. I am not at all convinced they are hearing the message local United Way agencies are sending. We need case management help.” Holley reports. United Way agencies do not have the flexibility of re-allocating or re-directing financial resources to pay for case management. “Our Board of Directors would have to take money away from its regular funded agencies to accommodate case management. The programs we support are critical every day; more so when a disaster occurs,” said Anja Machado, United Way director of marketing and communications. United Way Santa Rosa is receiving repeated calls from flood affected families who still have needs after working with their insurance companies, FEMA, SBA, and exhausting their savings.
“We have a great need for private gifts, like this gift from McKenzie Motors, in order for our Board of Directors to develop and approve a budget that can fund some of these unmet needs.” shared United Way Executive Director, Guy Thompson. To date the United Way of Santa Rosa has spent $39,000.00 directly on flood related cases. “I am thankful McKenzie Motors, after 45 years, is still able to support local people in need through this gift to the United Way of Santa Rosa County,” said Lisa McKenzie Company CEO. For more information about supporting the United Way of Santa Rosa County’s mission call Kyle Holley, 623-4507.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: McKenzie Motors first to enable local flood recovery