Community foundations in central Arkansas and Wynne offer grants to help tornado recovery

Support groups that are helping with long-term tornado recovery efforts in Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski counties may be eligible for grants of up to $25,000 through the Arkansas Community Foundation, the nonprofit announced Tuesday.

“Help is still needed for many in central Arkansas and Wynne, especially the uninsured and those who couldn’t access federal or state funds,” said Heather Larkin, president of Arkansas Community Foundation, in a press release. “These grants will go to nonprofits still working to help people become fully recovered.”

The foundation established the Central Arkansas Tornado Recovery Fund (for Pulaski and Lonoke counties) and the Cross County Tornado Recovery Fund (for Wynne) after the tornadoes that hit central and east Arkansas on March 31. The fund raised more than $1 million from hundreds of donors, and this fund is the source of the grants, according to the Community Foundation press release. 

Consideration for grants will be given to organizations actively participating in intermediate or long-term recovery by providing:

• Case management, case work, or other forms of assistance to people navigating insurance, FEMA and social services.
• Shelter/housing/rebuilding assistance.
• Debris removal or infrastructure repair.
• Financial assistance and/or basic needs to those affected, but not limited to food/meals, household products, clothing, water, and medicine.
• Legal aid.
• Mental health aid.
• Re-establishing programs or educational services that experienced significant disruption as a result of the tornado or directly sustained damage.
• Other unmet needs.

A committee of local leaders who live and work in the affected communities will select the grant recipients. Representatives from local long-term disaster recovery committees and others will review applicants from Pulaski and Lonoke counties while the Cross County Community Foundation board will review applicants from Wynne. 

Criteria and application details are available at www.arcf.org/tornadogrants. The deadline for organizations wishing to be considered is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 31. For questions call 501-372-1116 or email [email protected].

The Arkansas Community Foundation and Cross County Community Foundation do not provide direct programming or immediate relief work. They focus on long-term and intermediate recovery through grant-making to nonprofits serving the affected areas.