Where are millions in disaster relief....Thunder Bay, May 4th, 2013

Where are millions in disaster relief...????

Saturday, May 4, 2013

First, let me explain a little of what I went through.

I came home last year to my apartment saturated in sewage backup. I called my cat; thank God he got up away from it. I sat on my stairs looking at all my furniture that was ruined, grabbed my cat and left because the smell was too much.

I took pictures and wrote a statement explaining that I had to move to Kakabeka, travelling to the city each day for work. I added that to my statement of losses. I lost all my collector dolls and other valuables due to this flood that was not my fault.

I took this letter down to the disaster relief committee at City Hall like I was advised to do. I received $1,000 for immediate relief and had to leave for two months while my apartment was torn apart. For the next year I had to get my life slowly back together.
For awhile now the news has been depressing me. The money that was raised for the just over 400 people who applied for relief wasn’t going to be matched like it was promised. I felt like, really? First we have to wait a year for any money for damages and now the news is saying, basically, don’t expect much.

Where is this money? The millions raised over this year through fundraising, where is it?

I got a letter today saying that the $1,000 emergency money I received is enough! They even said they gave me $175 too much! I called and said to the answering machine please call me back because I have a concern about the letter.
I don’t usually cry but today I did. I thought, how could they put a low value on all my furniture. Why can’t they spread the money around to everyone who lost because of this flood. Thunder Bay was under emergency! How can they not help us? I would like the committee audited. I am going to raise hell and hope all who were affected by this does the same.

The ones who decide where this money goes and how much each gets should think of themselves in this position and how they would feel if someone put such a low value on their belongings. It make me mad! It shouldn’t be just about the material things that were lost, it should be about what we went through as well in a disaster that wasn’t our fault.

I wish I had a lot of people to come forward with me so we could form a committee of our own. Lawyers should be involved for auditing, etc. If anyone reading this is willing to come forward please email me at jeanniehutchin66@hotmail.com.

Jeannie Hutchin
Ilrc Thunder Bay