State Commerce Secretary Burdette says federal grant should jump start flood recovery process

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette says a recently approved grant should help restore some of the communities damaged by last month’s flood, a will provide temporary jobs.

“It’s not a home, it’s a house until you rebuild all of the community functions that make it a good place to live,” Burdette said of flood ravaged areas. “That means the mom-and-pop grocery store, the corner barber and a whole lot of the local economy that makes a place a home.”

The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant award for $3.5 million last week. Burdette said he would be working with both federal and state agencies for what he referred to as “recreating communities.”

“We’re going to do the best job we can,” he said. “We’re not promising miracles, but we’re promising hard work and a determination to do everything we can to recreate the places in West Virginia that are so important to us.”

The grant was allocated by Workforce West Virginia to create temporary jobs in clean-up and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the June 23 flood.

“It will allow us to create 250 temporary jobs in the 12 affected counties to do flood recovery,” Burdette explained.

Those 12 counties targeted are as follows: Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Roane, Summers and Webster counties.

The funds will provide for temporary employment on projects relating to flood recovery, deliver humanitarian aid and safety assistance and help work on destroyed homes.

Burdette said that because businesses do not apply for FEMA aid, many don’t know where to turn for help.

“Many of these places that were just simply wiped off the face of the earth, the heart may be willing, but the head is struggling what to do,” Burdette said. “There isn’t a grant program in place for them to get back on their feet.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration allows aid for small businesses, but it requires taking out a loan.

For those interested in the temporary jobs, Burdette said more information could be found on the Workforce West Virginia website, workforcewv.org.





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