Red Cross volunteers are trying to contact every tornado victim to offer help.
The Conference areas at the MassMutual Center are partitioned into two areas, one for dining and recreation and the other large area for housing. As of Sunday there are approx. 250 individuals at the Center receiving assistance.
SPRINGFIELD – By the end of the weekend, the American Red Cross officially raised $1 million to help victims of the June 1 tornado.
The money has come from businesses, spaghetti suppers, car washes and many individual donations. While the exact tally was not available Sunday, it has topped the $1 million mark, said Richard A. Lee, executive director of the Pioneer Valley chapter of the American Red Cross.
“So much money is coming in from so many different sources,” he said. “It is wonderful, and it has enabled us to fuel this relief effort, which is very extensive.”
The Red Cross started June 1, the night of the tornado, providing the most basic help of food and shelter, Lee said.
Within 24 hours after the tornado, the American Red Cross deployed eight white vans, including four from the Pioneer Valley Chapter, to drive through damaged neighborhoods distributing food, water, ice, bug spray, shovels and rakes. They have also handed out comfort kits containing toiletries, he said.
On Sunday those vans continued to drive through neighborhoods, and a distribution center was set up in Southbridge where people from areas such as Monson and Brimfield could pick up necessities.
At the same time, the Red Cross has started to have a case worker meet with every victim so they can get more information about their needs, Lee said.
“We focus on basic human needs. We don’t replace their color TV, but we ask do they have something to sleep on. Do they have the things that make them healthy, “ Lee said.
He said everyone is different. Some immediately needed help replacing items such as eyeglasses and prescription medication and will need long-term assistance finding a home. Others are well insured and need little help, Lee said.
The American Red Cross is not working alone. Many agencies, such as the Salvation Army, the Springfield Council of Churches and a variety of state and city organizations, are coordinating so they do not duplicate efforts, he said.
“This is a team sport,” Lee said. “What we do is spend our day unlocking problems that are unique.”
Some, like Donald B. Whitlock and his girlfriend, lost everything and have been living in the Red Cross run shelter at the MassMutual Center since the disaster.
He was downtown when the tornado destroyed his second-floor apartment at 406 Central St. in Springfield.
“When I got to the house, it was caved in,” he said. “It was down to the ground. I wasn’t able to get in there at all.”
The first case worker he talked to transferred him to another who she believed could help him more. He found success with a Department of Elder Affairs representative, who found him an apartment on Fort Pleasant Street and set him up with first and last month’s rent and a security deposit and will settle his utility bill for $125 that he hadn’t paid when the tornado hit.
The Red Cross also helped him replace his prescription medications.
After clearing up some final details Monday, Whitlock said he hopes to move in Tuesday.
He and his girlfriend will be happy to move to their own place, but Whitlock said he will be doing so without a refrigerator or furniture. He has some clothing and is hoping furniture will come soon.
Although the shelter at the MassMutual Center is not a permanent home, Whitlock said it has been run well.
“They feed you good and they give you clean linen whenever you need it,” he said. “There is hot water for showers.”
As of Sunday, there were 288 people sheltered in the MassMutual Center and in hotels for those with special circumstances, such as health issues. To date the Red Cross has served 16,849 meals and 75,373 snacks and distributed 7,541 kits of basic necessities.
Volunteer registered nurses and social workers are working with those who need medical or medical health consultations. So far, more than 1,400 consultations have been given to victims, said Eunice J. Mommens, of Maine, who is serving as the government liaison chief in Springfield.
Red Cross volunteers, who have come across the country to assist, are not just helping those who live in shelters. They are going door to door in devastated neighbors in Springfield, Monson and West Springfield to reach victims.
At homes where no one is home or that are unhabitable, they leave notes asking victims to contact them, Mommens said.
“We try very hard to reach these people. We tell them what we offer,” she said.
City politicians are also continuing to work to help the recovery effort and push for Federal Emergency Management Assistance funds to help with the rebuilding effort.
Sunday U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, continued to assess tornado damage, visiting the East Forest Park neighborhood. He met with officials for the badly-damaged Cathedral High School and Springfield College.
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno praised residents as well as agencies and organizations for coming together.
“We have been trying to handle the situation as best we can having never experienced something like this before,” he said.
The Department of Public Works is continuing to try to clean up the streets and assess and repair damage throughout the city.
“Everyone from agencies, to the water and sewer department, to the electric company and even the media has joined together to help people to get the services they need,” he said.
In West Springfield, case workers were also interviewing victims to find out what they need. Last week the workers extended their hours after they realized that they were not reaching some in shelters because they have been at work, Mayor Edward J. Gibson said.
The city set up a shelter in an Eastern State Exhibition dormitory. The Red Cross is assisting by providing supplies and services, Mommens said.
“We are through the emergency response portion that happened right after the tornado, and now we are focusing on getting individuals in temporary or permanent homes,” Gibson said.
For those whose homes have been condemned, agencies are working to find them permanent housing. It is more difficult for those who are expected to be homeless for a few months while repairs are being made.
“We don’t think putting them up in hotels is the best answer,” he said. “We are looking at what are available in the apartments in town, and after that you go out and rattle the trees and get creative.”
Staff writer Elizabeth Roman contributed to this story.