Dec 3, 2007 10:37 am US/Central
Bridge Fund Awaits More Aid Requests From Victims
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
A disaster fund created after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse has collected $1.1 million and is prepared to help victims with up to $10,000 in costs.
But so far, only $72,787 have been approved for 13 victims and families.
Others haven't applied for aid from the Minnesota Helps Bridge Disaster Fund because they're waiting to get a fuller picture of their financial situation. And for some, the process is too difficult.
Survivor Brad Coulter -- whose wife suffered brain damage in the collapse -- asked the Red Cross for emergency help but dropped it when told he would have to fill out a long form and could make only one claim for aid, according to his attorney, Chris Messerly.
"It was just ... too intimidating and ... too frustrating for him to deal with. So he actually went and took his own savings to buy ramps to get his wife into his home," Messerly said.
Those who administer the fund say they tried to make the process as streamlined as possible, with one application covering everything, said Marsha Pitts-Phillips, public relations manager with United Way.
Collapse survivors are paired with coordinators from nonprofit agencies who help them look at their needs and deal with paperwork, including letters from employers and doctors and a long-term recovery plan. Victims must show that they lack the money to cover basic needs or expenses related to the bridge collapse.
"It's meant to get people back as close as possible to where they were before the bridge. Ten thousand dollars goes pretty quickly. It's not a ton of money," said Amanda Loge, a Salvation Army resource coordinator working with 22 families, including families of two victims who died.
The Minnesota Helps fund collected $1.1 million from 1,500 people. Of that, about $884,000 remains after grants totaling $216,000 went to agencies that provided immediate help to the victims after the collapse.
About 180 people were on the bridge when it fell. Thirteen died and about 100 were injured.
"Although we expected that there would be more requests for funding immediately, the survivors are understandably taking time to think through their longer-term needs," said Chris Langer, vice president of communications for the Minneapolis Foundation, which manages the fund. "Some are still collecting bills and reconciling insurance payments. Some may not know yet what their needs will be as they recover. For others, it may still be overwhelming."
School bus driver Kim Dahl got a Minnesota Helps grant. After she and two of her children survived the bridge collapse, she said they had to sell "leisure toys" to make ends meet. The grant helped.
"It takes some of the immediate stress off," Dahl said.
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