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More help available for flood '08 victims

JANESVILLE — If you're still struggling with the effects with the flood of 2008, the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church might be able to help.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services picked the Wisconsin Conference to oversee the 2008 Flood Recovery Program. The Conference will be working in partnership with Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters.

The group's budget will be $6 million, and the money will be used primarily to help homeowners in southern Wisconsin whose homes were damaged by the 2008 flood.

The money comes from a federal social services block grant. To be eligible for the money, recipients must be homeowners and the home in question must be the owner's primary address.

In addition, the combined income of the home's residents must be less than or equal to 150 percent of the median income in the homeowner's county.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median income in Rock County in 2007 was $49,278, so 150 percent of that would be about $73,900.

"We really want people to know that there is this additional money out there," said Laurel Cavalluzzo, marketing representative for the Conference.

The money can be used to help repair damage to residences and replace essential household items such as furnaces and appliances.

Residents who previously received flood money from Federal Emergency Management Agency may still be eligible for funds.