Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana (LARRI) has received a grant of ($3.5 million) from the 2008 Indiana Natural Disaster Fund (IND Fund) to help support recovery work from the storms and floods that hit Northwest Indiana in September.  The United Ways in Lake, La Porte and Porter counties applied for a grant on behalf of LARRI.  We were one of the six funded projects in the state. The total of the grants in this round of funding is $4.3 million.

The grants come from the 2008 Indiana Natural Disaster Fund (IND Fund), established with a $45 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to the Indiana Association of United Ways (IAUW).  The United Way or community foundation in each county proposed funding for projects to assist in the rebuilding process.

“We have supported worthy projects from funds provided by The Lilly Endowment to address the worst Indiana disasters in 100 years,” said Larry Welker, IND Fund chairman and IAUW board member.  “Our reviews continue to recognize a range of recovery work that is needed. Over 25,000 households across the state have been affected and all but six counties have been declared a disaster area this year.”

LARRI is a composed of  agencies, churches, organizations and volunteers from the three counties who came together to respond to the disaster and help in the recovery process. LARRI is now in a position to begin the rebuilding phase.  For information on LARRI, how to donate supplies, money or volunteer go to www.larri.info or call any of your local United
Ways.

“Indiana’s recovery efforts continue,” said Roger Frick, IAUW president.  “An estimated 5,000 volunteers have been engaged in flood recovery work across the state since March. There are Long Term Recovery Committees at work in over 30 counties.”

Factors determining grant awards include local needs, available resources, the scale and type of the damage, local demographics and other funding commitments.  Applications are based on the recommendations of local United Ways or community foundations, which work with other local groups to set priorities for the funds.

The IAUW grants advisory committee includes IAUW board members and citizens with judgment and expertise in areas such as community development, financial affairs, neighborhood revitalization, rural development, local government and nonprofit
organizations.

Round 1 grants from the IND Fund were made during the summer. They provided for immediate assistance needs and supported the creation of an infrastructure of support groups to organize and carry out the recovery work. More than $3 million was awarded for that work in 35 counties.  Northwest Indiana received $250,000 from round one in grants.

Round 2 comprises four additional application cycles. Proposals for projects in the hardest-hit counties were invited for the first cycle in November and received $14.3 million. Proposals for additional projects were reviewed in December, including the hardest hit areas in the Northwest corner of the state. other counties with disaster declarations will be covered in two remaining cycles in 2009.

Counties that have received funding in this first cycle of Round 2 are the following:
– Benton, Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Pulaski, Starke, Tippecanoe and White counties --
$700,000, individual assistance.

LARRI (Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery in Indiana) serving Lake, Porter and La Porte Counties  $3,500,000 for individual assistance.

Jackson County--$200,000 for individual assistance

Owen County—$623,300 for individual assistance

Sullivan County--$4,147 for Public Library repairs

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Community recovery stories are available in the electronic publication, Watershed, available