Employment of Disaster Case Managers in Okanogan and Methow Valley to Aid Fire Victims
The Community Foundation of NCW has invested $100,000 from its general fund toward long-term recovery efforts for fire relief victims in Okanogan County.
The funds will be used to employ Disaster Case Managers that will work with individuals to access resources and determine options available for those that have been displaced from their homes and workplace.
The Disaster Case Managers will be stationed at three locations: Okanogan Community Action Council in (OCAC) in Okanogan, Room One in Twisp, and the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Pateros.
Disaster Case Managers are important to long-term recovery, which can span several months to a couple of years. Victims can work with one manager throughout their recovery – only having to tell their story one time – and receive personal, one-on-one assistance.
Disaster Case Managers are skilled and trained to offer guidance through processes and paperwork that is often necessary to apply for loans, financial aid, and provide information on resources available and how to access them. The number of Disaster Case Managers is still to be determined and will depend on case load.
The foundation will work closely with the Disaster Case Managers to determine additional needs for victims and use that data to develop criteria that allows for fair and equitable disbursement of donations to directly support victims. These direct-support funds would come from the NCW Fire Relief Fund, which has received $234,720 in donations and continues to grow, thanks to ongoing contributions and community fundraisers.
Disaster Case Managers will be available to provide assistance by the end of August. Contact one of the sites for more information:
Okanogan Community Action Council | 424 South 2nd Ave, Okanogan | (509) 422-4041
Room One | 315 Lincoln St, Twisp | (509) 997-2050
Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) | Opening Soon at the old grocery store in Pateros
For more information and to stay updated on the NCW Fire Relief Fund efforts, visit www.cfncw.org/firerelieffund.
Subscribe to the CFNCW e-newsletter for donor news, scholarship opportunities, and good work being done in the community.