While the catastrophic storms that ripped through the Point Place area of Toledo happened back in June, a trip through the neighborhoods shows how many residents are still struggling with repairs.
Seeing a need in their community, a group of pastors in Point Place came together to create the Point Place Relief Fund, with Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio managing the funds and issuing checks.
On Wednesday, November 22, at the Friendship Park Community Center, dozens of qualifying residents lined up to receive their checks – $500 for an individual and $1,000 for families – to assist with remaining repairs or insurance deductibles.
LSS Financial Stability Manager Megan Pickering handed out the checks. Her department handled the application and qualification steps of the process.
Point Place resident Sue hoped the money would help get things going in the right direction. The storm knocked down a large tree in her neighbor’s yard, damaging her privacy fence, pool, and 2 ½ car garage.
“A turnaround, I’m hoping,” Sue said. “I’m hoping things start to turn around and go in the right direction, get things fixed.”
Sue was one of 62 families and individuals to receive funds from the PPRF, totaling $37,000. The fund was aided by $20,000 from the Global H.O.P.E. Disaster Ministries Recovery and Repair Grant, and just more than $5,400 was donated from the FPCC from a t-shirt sale.
“Thank goodness for Lutheran Social Services that did all the heavy lifting for us,” FPCC president John Burgan said. “They were a God send.
“I’m so happy. My only wish is we could have gotten more to help everybody, but money doesn’t fall from heaven.”
Sue said she was not surprised with how many people applied for and showed up to get their checks. It was the first time she had ever applied for assistance, but based upon her experience, she felt others shouldn’t be the same way.
“Anybody who is in a situation should put aside their fear or not thinking they’re eligible and apply,” Sue said. “It can’t hurt. All they can do is say no, but you might be eligible and that little bit could go a long way somewhere with something.”
WTOL coverage of the check distribution at FPCC.