The American Legion has a National Emergency Fund. If you are a current member, you can apply for an Individual Member Grant which can be up to $1,500.00. (Posts can also apply for a Post Grant which can be up to $5,000.00). Please contact AL Post 515 Commander, Victor Wnorowski, for an application which includes instructions and conditions. (Soon form copies will be readily available for pick up at Middletown VFW Post 2179, located at 1 Veteran's Lane, Port Monmouth, NJ). You can also print your own by clicking on this link: http://www.njamericanlegion.org/forms/NEF%20Forms.pdf ***This is for current AL & SAL members as stated on the forms*** The Ladies Auxiliary doesn't have a fund like this for Units/Members.
If you need any additional assitance, please contact Middletown AL Post 515 Commander, Victor Wnorowski, at 732-309-0475, or via email at vwnorowski1@sprint.blackberry.net
The following "Disaster Recovery Contact Information" has been provided to us by The American Legion Department Of New Jersey and we're posting it here for your reference:
"For urgent and immediate
health and safety issues:
Call 911.
For non-immediate health
matters or other assistance:
Call 211 or go online at www.nj211.orgfor help with
non-emergency issues, including basic human needs, support for seniors or
persons with disabilities, children, or mental health issues.
To file a claim with FEMA:
Call 1-800-621-FEMA(1-800-621-3362).
Make sure you register with FEMA. A printable form is here:
To report a downed electrical
line:
Contact your local energy provider
(info below). Be prepared to give the nearest cross street, or the number of a
nearby pole that has not been damaged and is away from any downed wires; the
pole number can be found on the metal tag attached to the pole.
- PSE&G:
1-800-436-7734- Orange
To report a natural gas leak:
Contact your local gas provider.-
- PSE&G:
1-800-436-7734
To report complaints about
electric or gas utilities:
Call the NJ Board of Public
Utilities: 1-800-624-0241
or 1-609-341-9188.
To file an insurance claim,
if you can’t find the number of your company or agent:
Call the NJ Department of Banking and
Insurance at 1-800-446-7467
or go to www.dobi.nj.gov.
To report complaints about
insurance companies:
Call the NJ Department of Banking and
Insurance at 1-800-446-7467 or go to
A printable complaint form is here: http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/
To file for unemployment
insurance and/or Disaster Unemployment Assistance:
Federal Disaster Unemployment
Assistance (DUA) provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment
or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major
disaster, if they are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits. As
of Nov. 1, 2012, DUA is available in declared federal disaster areas including
Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties,
subject to a 30-day application deadline ending Dec. 3, 2012 for claims due to
Hurricane Sandy. If possible, applicants should first file
online for unemployment insurance benefits at www.njuifile.net because
claims can be processed more quickly via the Internet; however, applicants may
file by phone by contacting the state Department of Labor’s Re-employment Call
Centers at:
To report possible consumer
fraud or price gouging by contractors or others:
State law makes excessive price
increases illegal during a state of emergency, and for 30 days following the
end of the emergency. Call the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs at
1-800-242-5846 or 1-973-220-3474.
To provide volunteer
assistance in the cleanup and restoration effort:
Call 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397).
Backup numbers: 1-609-775-5236 or
1-908-303-0471. Volunteers may also
send an email to rowena.madden@sos.state.nj.us.
This service is managed by the NJ Business Action Center and the Governor’s
Office of Volunteerism, both divisions within the NJ Department of State.
To request volunteer
assistance:
Call 211 or go online at www.nj211.org.
Extension of motor vehicle
document deadlines:
To ease the burden on customers who
did not have a chance to visit a motor vehicle office in October, MVC Chairman
and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez has issued Administrative Order
2012-03 authorizing a 30-day extension for all driver’s licenses, vehicle
registrations and vehicle inspection stickers that expired on October 31.
The order is here: http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/
THA falls under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It allows eligible evacuees from Hurricane Sandy, who cannot return to their homes, to stay in hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations are available.
This federal assistance is intended to provide a place to stay for a longer period of time for evacuees whose neighborhoods are not accessible or whose houses have been destroyed. The initial period of assistance is from Nov. 1, 2012 to Nov. 14, 2012, with a Nov. 15 checkout.
Once again, the contact info for your constituents regarding Transitional Housing Assistance (THA) is the following:
Register by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments. Specialists are standing by at the toll-free numbers seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, until further notice. Help in languages other than English is available. Or you can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.You can also apply through a web-enabled mobile device or smartphone by visiting http://m.fema.gov/ and following the link to "apply online for federal assistance."
Eligible evacuees must fit the following criteria:
1. FEMA must be able to verify the identity of the evacuee;
2. The primary residence of the evacuee must be in one of the counties that has been designated a disaster area; and
3. The primary residence is inaccessible or unlivable due to damage or lack of power.
In addition to THA-related information, the governor sent out information on Wednesday afternoon regarding services that residents may access through New Jersey’s Departments of Health and Human Services.
The Department of Health has public health experts available through the state's 2-1-1 system to answer questions about food and water safety and mold removal to assist New Jersey residents as they cleanup their homes and businesses after Hurricane Sandy.
Health experts can answer questions about personal health and safety concerns; cleaning and mold removal; carbon monoxide concerns and food and drinking water safety. Residents can call 2-1-1 or 1-866-234-0964 to reach Public Health officials, who are available to take calls 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 5 pm on weekends. The 2-1-1 human services hotline is open 24/7.
There are also resources available to help residents cope with the stress during this challenging time. The New Jersey Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services - Disaster and Terrorism Branch is coordinating statewide efforts to help individuals and communities manage the emotional impact of the storm.
The Disaster and Terrorism Branch partners with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey to offer assistance through a toll-free Disaster Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-294-HELP (4357). A TTY line is available for persons who are deaf and hearing impaired at 1-877-294-4356. The federal government also has a Disaster Distress website and provides 24/7 crisis counseling and support resources available at 1-800-985-5990 or Text TalkWithUS to 66746. The federal Helpline is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, all of whom provide crisis counseling for those who are in emotional distress.
While resources that are offered through NJ 2-1-1 vary from community-to-community, call specialists will provide information and referral services to callers about a variety of concerns, including: food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency or homeless shelters, rental assistance and utility assistance.
The call center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is staffed with over 50 referral specialists trained to guide callers to the most appropriate services in their area. Particularly in times of disaster, 2-1-1 plays a vital role in keeping residents connected to factual, up-to-date information. NJ 2-1-1 does not process applications or provide funding or benefits.
