Government Grant

Cal Shakes Theater’s 50-year history could end [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Cal Shakes Theater’s 50-year history could end [Video]

Cal Shakes Theater has been a landmark in the hills of Orinda for generations of theater-goers, local actors and production workers. On Friday, crews were wrapping up the stage for the winter season, and facing what could be the end of that Bay Area tradition. Declining revenue, donations, and grant funding has made it untenable to continue without a sudden infusion of funds.

Multi-million-dollar food hub and cooking school set to transform northern New York [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Multi-million-dollar food hub and cooking school set to transform northern New York [Video]

A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FOOD HUB AND COOKING SCHOOL IS COMING TO NORTHERN NEW YORK. IT’S THANKS TO A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR GRANT AWARDED TO CHAMPLAIN VALLEY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES. THE STATE’S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER VISITED PLATTSBURGH TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE PROJECT WITH NORTH COUNTRY LEADERS. EDUCATORS WANT TO GIVE STUDENTS A CHANCE TO CREATE A CULINARY EXPERIENCE WITH LOCAL INGREDIENTS. THEY SAY IT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY. 14;04;48;10 – 14;05;02;22 THE FACILITY WILL BE ON MILITARY TURNPIKE IN T

As communities recover from Helene, how they can navigate insurance claims and seek aid [Video]
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Small Business Funding

As communities recover from Helene, how they can navigate insurance claims and seek aid [Video]

Thousands of people are now picking up the pieces after Helene caused catastrophic damage across the Southeast.And as the scope of devastation widens in western North Carolina, trying to navigate recovery can be daunting. Many families, like Stephanie and John Zara, have filed insurance claims and are already getting denied. “Nobody in our neighborhood had it. And we are all in the same situation of what do we do now? We are getting instantly denied the coverage,” Stephanie Zara said.They say their bills are still due. And now, they are applying for federal relief.”Im waiting on the denial letter to give to FEMA to see whats next. Because I dont know. It feels impossible for us all at the moment,” Stephanie Zara said.Insurance experts have some resources and tips for navigating financial resources that can help you get back to normal. While they say every bit helps, they are forecasting each tip won’t necessarily be enough on its own.Action from the StateThe North Carolina Department of Insurance:Mike Causey is the commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance. He says less than 3% of homeowners have critical coverage like flood insurance.”The vast majority of the homeowners and the business owners, they’re going to depend on charity and FEMA assistance,” Causey said.Causey says the NCDOI has created two Victim Assistance Centers in Boone and Banner Elk that are designed to answer questions in real time. They are also helping with payment extensions for programs like Medicaid.Though, ultimately, the commissioner says if people don’t have the proper insurance, their claim will likely get denied.This is when he says it’s time to defer to outside aid, either federally or local philanthropic organizations.Federal AssistanceFederal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA):FEMA says since Helene touched down, 123,000 survivors have applied for aid and more than $37.4 million has been approved. These numbers are in North Carolina alone.They want the applications to keep coming. Call FEMA’s Disaster Aid hotline at 1-800-621-3362 to apply. “Go to the disaster assistance line. Disasterassistance.gov. It’s your friend. It’s a noninvasive way of being able to contact FEMA, get your information submitted and wait for a reply,” FEMA representative La’Tanga Hopes said.Aid and Other Relief TipsInsurance experts say when navigating insurance claims and any type of aid, the following actions are best practice:Take pictures of everything, even of things you don’t think are worth it, as you never know what companies will value things at.File your claims and contact your insurer ASAP. In typical cases, property owners have 60 days from the event to file a claim unless their insurance company has granted an exception. Look into exceptions, too!Keep a log of everyone you talk to and everything they tell you.If your claims are denied, apply for federal aid from FEMA immediately!When applying for outside aid, make sure you understand the terms. Not all aid is the same! Some aid comes in the form of loans to be paid back, and some are grants.Watch out for Scammers!Experts say to ask people for their official IDsThey say you should never have to PAY for aid services

Combatting misinformation in North Carolina [Video]
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Small Business Funding

Combatting misinformation in North Carolina [Video]

Misinformation about Federal Emergency Management Agency resources has taken over social media, worrying many residents in North Carolina who are still looking for aid. FEMA spokespeople said there is still plenty of money and agents to go around, even with Milton approaching Florida as a major hurricane.La-Tanga Hopes, a FEMA spokesperson for Western North Carolina, said rumors online make it difficult for FEMA to get families the help they need. She said misinformation isn’t helping with building trust in the community.”Funding has been made available for North Carolina, and they need not worry about Milton,” Hopes said. “There are some people that are going to take care of everything that’s happening with that new disaster.”FEMA does have a deadline of Nov. 27, 2024, for North Carolina Hurricane Helene applications, but as with other storms in the past, it could be extended. The agency announced the Boone recovery center will close on Oct. 12.One expert from the University of North Carolina says it is the shared responsibility of social media users, platforms and government agencies to squash misconceptions. “In the same way that there are those who are out intentionally trying to mislead people for political purposes, we have an opportunity and really an obligation to one another to make sure that our affected friends and neighbors do have reliable information,” said Meredith D. Clark, associate professor of race and political communication at UNC Hussman. Claim: FEMA will reallocate resources away from North Carolina to Florida or foreign efforts.Fact: FEMA said resources are not moving from Western North Carolina until claims are closed. Floridians impacted by Hurricane Milton will have their own FEMA agents to address their claims and allocate funding to them. Claim: FEMA will take away your home or property if you file a claim.Fact: “FEMA is not interested in your property other than helping you restore and rebuild it,” Hopes said. “FEMA is not an income driven agency, and what I mean by that is this: there is money being made available to you in the form of a cash grant.”FEMA said getting denied after submitting a claim may be the result of not providing enough documentation, and field agents may be able to connect families to resources to track the status of their report.Claim: FEMA is not helping on the ground.Fact: FEMA said they have crews across Western North Carolina. Tracey said FEMA, along with military operations, were authorized by the federal government to assist in search-and-rescue operations units and disaster survivor response teams. Temporary centers for assistance are being implemented in each county so residents can follow up on the status of their claims. Calling their hotline 1-800-621-3362 will get you connected to an agent and allow you to start your application for assistance if you haven’t already. Jann Tracey, a FEMA spokesperson in Avery County, said that, for those without internet, calling over the phone or speaking with an agent face-to-face is the best option.”Talking to somebody one-on-one is really helpful,” she said. “Rather than just talking to your neighbors and getting rumors and not getting after the information, that’s the ideal way.”Claim: FEMA is taking away food and donations from distribution sites.Fact: They said food and water resources delivered to distribution sites in many counties have been dropped off by FEMA resources. Just because someone working at distribution sites or fire stations is not wearing a FEMA polo shirt does not mean the work was not authorized by FEMA, Tracey said.Claim: FEMA is only giving residents $750 in aid and withholding funding from North Carolina.Fact: The initial funding you can request from FEMA is $750 for necessities, food and water, but that does not exclude you from getting more funding and submitting an application for aid. There is a cap on funding that FEMA can provide, but Hopes told us the agency will defer to state and other resources to provide aid until claims are closed, and that is not expected to happen soon. “They need to reassure people that withholding aid, especially on the basis of partisanship, isn’t a practice of the federal government,” said Clark. “And then, they need to provide people with a way to check honestly, verify, that what they are saying is true.”FEMA said it will never ask for money from disaster survivors and that you should report anyone trying to get you to pay for aid.