St. Croix Long-Term Recovery Group

In this reporting period, we were so PLEASED to be able to have our first in-person gathering in almost two full years. More than fifty of our members and faith leaders came together to begin updating our Community Asset Map, discuss the plans for the Community Resiliency Hubs, and plan preparedness workshops that are now taking place throughout the island. We have continued expanding into more businesses (public and private sector) as we deliver Continuity Planning, are still striving to build strong volunteer teams, and increase First Responder Awareness among community organizations and varying neighborhood locations.

We continue to work with our sister islands to strengthen the work of the VI Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). This year, we have applied for two grants with the intention to also apply for a Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Response and Mitigation (CDBG-DR & CDBG-Mit) to support the Community Resiliency Hub pilot program and our Disaster Case Managers (DCMs).

We are grateful for the support of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development for their support as a fiscal sponsor and our wonderful partners at GlobalGiving and the Island Spirit Fund for their continued financial support. And to Episcopal Relief and Development for underwriting a territory-wide Unmet Needs grant, we extend our sincere appreciation.

We are now in the process of transitioning from our Long Term Recovery Group status to the St. Croix COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) as we turn our focus to preparing for all hazards that could impact our island. We have moved into new office space and are even more accessible to community members.

With gratitude for allowing us to serve the St. Croix community and our sister islands,

The staff of the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group
Jay Rollins, Executive Director for National & Regional Relationships
Delia Richardson, Executive Director for Community Engagement
Christina Joseph, Executive Assistant
Rosalie Javois, VISTA

DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT and UNMET NEEDS
During this reporting period, the Disaster Case Management program continued its usual activities serving, supporting, and advocating for program enrollees recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Almost all await reconstruction or repair through the Envision Tomorrow Program (ENT).  ENT continues to be plagued with delays caused by staffing changes, major disagreements over costs with VIHFA (VI Housing Finance Authority), lack of qualified personnel, reliance on off-island environmental inspectors, delays in contracting a construction management company, and many other challenges. Although some clients are completely vetted through the entire approval process none have received timelines for beginning home repair or re-construction. Two clients received mandated pre-construction evaluation but no follow-up has taken place since then.  We continue to work with our clients in locating alternative resources with limited results given many clients’ aversion to loans, numerous national natural disasters in the interim, the pandemic, inflation, and the continuous crisis affecting everyone since 2017.

In January we were preparing to start much-needed hurricane repairs for an elderly client with funds from the Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) approved through the Unmet Needs Committee of the Virgin Islands Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VI VOAD) when the client abruptly passed away.  Needless to say, the entire team was devastated, since so much effort, partnership and time were invested in what in all respects was on the brink of becoming a very successful outcome.  Our DCM is now assisting another client, without resources, who is 84 years old and will hopefully meet the criteria for this funding so she can resume abiding in her home.

Overall, in the aftermath of COVID-19, hopefully, re-construction activity will get fully underway and the 200 homes slated for repair will be completed through the ENT program.   We continue to maintain ongoing contact with clients, providing support, referrals for needed services, assistance with documentation, and advocacy.  We provide an outlet for clients to express their frustration and annoyance with hurricane recovery and rebuild entities while gently shifting their attention to smaller goal attainment and self-advocacy skill development that can make their lives easier in the interim.

DATE: June 1, 2022
REPORTING PERIOD: February 1, 2022  – April 30, 2022           

Client Case Load Metrics
Total clients to date: 118
Total Cases Closed: 83
Total Active Cases: 35
New Enrollment: 2
Number of cases closed: 5
Clients served: 40
Numbers of repairs, estimates, and construction activities: 11
Total hours for construction and repair estimates: 326

As we continue to strengthen and foster our community relationships, we strive to increase our deliveries of all Hazard Disaster Preparedness Awareness Workshops. This year proved to be a monumental win as we impacted lives in the business sector as well. Community and organizations impacted included the St. Croix Christian Church, Harbor View Community/Croixville Developments, and BroadBand VI.

We also continue to foster partnerships with:

• Midre Cummings Leaders of Frederiksted, to pool volunteers for the rebuilding of the Midre Cummings Park;
• Diageo USVI, the University of the Virgin Islands, and Senior Leadership Staff at Good Hope Country Day School, to present Leadership and Disaster Preparedness Awareness Workshops to seniors, parents, and community leaders; and
• Salvation Army, Frederiksted Rotary, VI Department of Public Works, VI Housing Community, FEMA, and VITEMA, to coalesce efforts across agencies and civic organizations.

As we forge ahead into 2022, the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group will be expanding into more businesses (public and private sector) as we deliver Continuity Planning, build strong volunteer teams, and increase First Responder Awareness among community organizations and varying neighborhood locations.

We also continue to work with our sister islands to strengthen the work of the VI Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). This year, we will begin a pilot program bringing three new Community Resilience Hubs to the territory.

We are grateful for the support of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development through their fiscal sponsorship and to our wonderful partners at GlobalGiving and Island Spirit Fund for their continued financial support.

In the coming year, we will formally transition from our Long Term Recovery Group status to the St. Croix COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) as we turn our focus to preparing for all hazards that could impact our island.

DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT and UNMET NEEDS
During this reporting period, the Disaster Case Management Program continued serving the remaining program participants.  The majority are waiting for home repair assistance through the Envision Tomorrow Program.  Despite the pandemic, the program has continued to provide support, referrals, and advocacy to clients.

Metrics: Client Case Load

DATE: February 26, 2022
REPORTING PERIOD: October 1, 2021  – February 15, 2022
DCM: Alexis George, Shalima Edwards

• Total clients: 85
• Total cases closed: 58
• Total number of cases transferred to DCM caseload: 3
• Total active cases during the reporting period: 50
• New enrollment during this reporting period: 0
• Number of cases closed during this reporting period: 6
• Clients served during this reporting period: 42
• Total cases submitted to Unmet Needs Committee for review this period: 1
• Number of cases approved: 1
• Number of repairs, estimates, and other construction activities conducted: 6 (Repairs: 1; Estimates: 5) 

With gratitude for allowing us to serve the St. Croix community and our sister islands, the staff of the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group:

Jay Rollins, Executive Director for National & Regional Relationships
Delia Richardson, Executive Director for Community Engagement
Christina Joseph, Executive Assistant
Rosalie Javois, VISTA

The spirit and resiliency of a people is most strongly on display in the aftermath of a disaster—especially after four years! As we continue to recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, in the midst of an ongoing pandemic disaster, the unity of our community continues to be vital towards the achievement of a clear and concerted vision of a recovered and resilient St. Croix, USVI.

The St. Croix Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business, and other organizations working within St. Croix to assist individuals and families as they recover from Hurricane Maria.

The goal of the LTRG is to unite recovery resources with community needs in order to ensure that even the most vulnerable in the community recover from the disaster.  The LTRG was officially formed under the fiscal sponsorship of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development in 2015. Under the guidance of FEMA and the American Red Cross, members formed committees to carry out the work of the organization.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us into some changes in how we continued recovery. We lost the opportunity to bring in volunteer teams to rebuild homes. Government programs focused on recovery came to halt as we weathered the pandemic storm. Despite these challenges, we were able to pivot to create new partnerships, stronger community engagement, capacity strengthening in technological communication, increased coordination with government agencies, and a renewed commitment from our member organizations to strive for a fully recovered island—and an island that will be prepared for the next disaster while coping with one we could not predict.

We continue the process of formally folding the work of the LTRG into the STX COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) model which will ultimately be housed under the territory-wide VI VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). As part of this process, we are engaged in a formal membership campaign, asset-mapping of our 150+ member organizations to better understand where resources are located throughout the island, a seat at the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Council table, trained members to staff Points of Distribution Centers in times of crisis, offered volunteers to work emergency shelters, and carried out some initial discussions on community-based resiliency hubs that will be housed under the COAD. These hubs would allow for communities to survive in the immediate days following a disaster while we await additional outside relief—all in conjunction with the COADs on our sister islands.

With all of this, we have not forgotten those in our community who are not back to a “new normal” from the storms of 2017. We still see the suffering of those without homes or a roof on their home almost four years after the storms. And we continue to do our best to bring relief to our community through our Disaster Case Managers and our Unmet Needs Roundtable. In addition, we are vocal advocates demanding that federally funded relief programs be expedited to operate at a much more efficient level. The recovery is not over! COVD-19 may have altered HOW we can help, but it will not stop us from helping all those that we can.

We are grateful for the support of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development through their fiscal sponsorship and to our wonderful partners at GlobalGiving and Island Spirit Fund for their continued financial support and their commitment to continue this support into 2021.

With gratitude for allowing us to serve the St. Croix community and our sister islands, the staff of the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group:

Jay Rollins, Executive Director for National & Regional Relationships
Delia Richardson, Executive Director for Community Engagement
Christina Joseph, Executive Assistant
Rosalie Javois, VISTA

DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT and UNMET NEEDS
During this reporting period, the Disaster Case Management Program continued serving the remaining program participants.  The majority are waiting for home repair assistance through the Envision Tomorrow Program.  Despite the pandemic, the program has continued to provide support, referral and advocacy to clients.

We helped a client receive assistance through the USDA grant program ($7,500) and acquired funding for 3 additional home repairs. Persistent communication with a contractor encouraged him to conduct an estimate for another client, mandated for their funding application.  Another client also acquired an estimate through the generosity of a different contractor.  DCM assisted a client with managing the reconstruction of their home by interacting directly with the contractor with regular visits as the work was being completed. Many participants have expressed their appreciation for the level of support and assistance received through the program.

The request for the repayment to prevent Duplication of Benefits by the Envision Tomorrow Program is a financial encumbrance that most clients cannot meet at this point thereby delaying their progression to the construction phase of the program. After receiving verbal support and commitments from the Director of the VI Housing Finance Authority at a meeting in March, we received no further contact, despite numerous phone calls, text, emails and public sightings. In the interim we continue to solicit assistance through the Unmet Needs Committee to provide assistance with repairs for eligible clients.  Unfortunately, at this stage post-disaster, those funds are limited.  Meetings with Inclusivity, a financial stakeholder, discussed potential grants to cover these shortfalls but no specific resource has been identified as yet.   

• During this reporting period, DCM had 3 clients undergoing repairs that were funded by the Unmet Needs Committee. The repairs included roof repairs for two clients, and one was an interior repair that included the bathroom, kitchen, and replacement of an exterior door.
• DCM also worked with a client who received a grant from USDA in the amount of $7,500 to cover the cost for their kitchen and other interior repairs.  Also one client received a second estimate to completely repair their home during this period.
• DCM also met with Senator Frankie Johnson who expressed an interest in touring damaged properties to see the realities many of these clients are dealing with.
• Another client’s contractor started repairs to her home even though her insurance money was inadequate to cover the full repair. She and her sister lost confidence in the Envision Tomorrow ‘s ability to complete the repairs in a timely fashion since they waited over 2 years, were deemed fully, yet no work was underway. DCM worked with the client in getting the repairs started by coordinating with the contractor.
• Throughout this period DCM maintained ongoing contact with all clients by providing frequent follow-ups via phone and face-to-face visits. Home visits were crucial for keeping abreast of deteriorating living conditions and brainstorming for potential resources.

There are several clients awaiting Envision Tomorrow who could benefit from having their roofs re-tarped. Also, as expressed by other clients who feel they can no longer wait, a low-interest loan program would be helpful for those who do not qualify for USDA because of a high debt ratio. Those who have duplication of benefits issues and are unable to pay the amount owed are also in need of assistance.

Unfortunately, one client died during this period while waiting for VIHFA. DCM enrolled one new client.

REPORTING PERIOD: July 1  – October 29, 2021
Metrics: Client Case Load Total

• Total Clients To Date: 85
• Total Cases Closed To Date: 58
• Total number of cases transferred to DCM Caseload: 3
• Total Active Cases during the reporting period: 50
• New Enrollment during this reporting period: 1
• Number of cases closed during this reporting period: 7
• Clients served during this reporting period: 50
• Total cases submitted to Unmet Needs For Review This Period: 2
• Number of cases approved: 0
• Number of repairs, estimates and other a construction activities conducted - Repairs:4; Estimates: 1

CONCLUSION:
Throughout this reporting period, we experienced some challenges obtaining accurate information regarding the processes and movements of the Envision Tomorrow Program which was truly frustrating and damaging to the client’s trust in ETP.  Overall, we were able to maintain adequate support and tend to the needs of our clients in an effort to provide some stability and confidence in the DCM program.

The spirit and resiliency of a people are most strongly on display in the aftermath of a disaster—especially almost four years beyond. As we continue to recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the unity of our community continues to be vital towards the achievement of a clear and concerted vision of a recovered and resilient St. Croix, USVI.

The St. Croix Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business, and other organizations working within St. Croix to assist individuals and families as they recover from Hurricane Maria.

The goal of the LTRG is to unite recovery resources with community needs in order to ensure that even the most vulnerable in the community recover from the disaster.  The LTRG officially formed under the fiscal sponsorship of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development in 2015. Under the guidance of FEMA and the American Red Cross, members formed committees to carry out the work of the organization.

Meeting the Mandate
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us into changing how we continued to recover. We lost the opportunity to bring in volunteer teams to rebuild homes. Government programs focused on recovery came to halt as we weathered the pandemic storm. Despite these challenges, we accomplished so much in 2020 with new partnerships, stronger community engagement, capacity strengthening in technological communication, increased coordination with government agencies, and a renewed commitment from our member organizations to strive for a fully recovered island—and an island that will be prepared for the next disaster.

We have begun the process of formally folding the work of the LTRG into a new STX COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) model which will ultimately be housed under the territory-wide VI VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). As part of this process we are engaged in a formal membership campaign, asset-mapping of our 150+ member organizations to better understand where resources are located throughout the island and have occupied a seat at the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Council table, trained members to staff Points of Distribution Centers in times of crisis, offered volunteers to work emergency shelters, and carried out some initial discussions on community-based resiliency hubs that will be housed under the COAD. These hubs would allow for communities to survive in the immediate days following a disaster while we await additional outside relief—all in conjunction with the COADs on our sister islands.

Throughout all of this, we have not forgotten those in our community who are not back to a “new normal” from the storms of 2017. We still see the suffering of those without homes or a roof on their home almost four years after the storms. And we continue to do our best to bring relief to our community through our Disaster Case Managers and our Unmet Needs Roundtable. In addition, we are vocal advocates demanding that federally funded relief programs be expedited to operate at a much more efficient level. The recovery is not over! COVD-19 may have altered HOW we can help, but it will not stop us from helping all those that we can.

We are grateful for the support of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development through their fiscal sponsorship and to our wonderful partners at GlobalGiving and Island Spirit Fund for their continued financial support.

With gratitude for allowing us to serve the St. Croix community and our sister islands, the staff of the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group:

Jay Rollins, Executive Director for National & Regional Relationships
Delia Richardson, Executive Director for Community Engagement
Christina Joseph, Executive Assistant
Rosalie Javois, VISTA

DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT and UNMET NEEDS
During this reporting period, our DCMs continued to serve a total of 54 clients.

• DCM program activity increased as the territory returned to a degree of normalcy after the extended COVID shutdown. Clients were supported by DCMs during the shutdown through frequent communication and sporadic home visits when circumstances warranted.  Many clients who were awaiting the Envision Tomorrow Program began receiving duplication of benefits notices indicating FEMA funds requiring repayment before they could move into the reconstruction/repair phase of the program. Of course, many did not have the resources necessary to repay, especially significant amounts.  DCMs assisted in multiple ways, including brainstorming with clients regarding potential lenders or grant availability, support with appealing their cases with additional evidence substantiating how money was spent, and seeking alternate avenues for home repair.  This new development was challenging for clients and created higher levels of anxiety. Most expressed a collective frustration about the pace of Envision Tomorrow as they continue to endure living in unstable conditions especially during heavy rainfall. Most do not have alternate living space and are trying to make their current living situation as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, many of these clients are elderly and some are disabled.  And the transition of the Virgin Islands into hurricane season has not helped. To date, there is no indication or notification as to the actual start of construction of homes for clients in the program.
• DCM staff began to initiate more direct communication with the management of the Envision Tomorrow Program to monitor client progress through the program more closely. DCMs were able to meet with Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) director and his Residential Disaster Recovery Management team to acquire more definitive information regarding potential repair timelines, obstacles as well as offer assistance and collaboration with the agency to help move the process along.
• DCM had two clients that were undergoing the completion of repairs to their home. One client saw the repair of the entire home’s electrical system, replacement of most windows and some structural repair while the other client received a full kitchen refurbishment.
• An additional 6 clients were submitted to Unmet Needs Roundtable for repair funding during this period and subsequently, 4 clients were approved totaling $32,838.88, 1 was denied and 1 is currently pending information from the contractor regarding potential structural issues that may require more funding.  Work on two of the recently approved clients’ home repairs has started.
• DCM program was able to conduct debris removal from the client’s property to prepare for reconstruction to begin and was also able to fund roof tarp installation for another client—a total of $5,120.
• Additionally, 2 other clients were able to get the repair to their damaged home started with insurance money received from hurricane Maria damage.   Although the money awarded was inadequate to completely cover the cost of repair, they lost confidence in the ability of the Envision Tomorrow Program to get underway as they have been paying rent for the past 4 years in anticipation of the additional assistance to bring their home to completion. Both DCMs have worked with clients and contractors to determine realistic repairs given the amount they have that will make the home reasonably inhabitable. They expressed exhaustion waiting on the program for the past 2 years and seeing no evidence of progress for any applicants.
• DCM also worked with 3 clients with the application process to the USDA home repair grant program. Clients are still going through the application process and approval is pending. 

CONCLUSION
Although very delayed, DCMs continue to work with resident populations in getting their recovery needs met and support the implementation of territorial programs designed to assist home rebuilding as well as any other adjunctive services they may need.  Currently, our greatest allies in achieving these goals have been the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) roofing program, STX/LTRG Unmet Needs Roundtable, the USDA & Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.  We look forward to continued partnership with the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and its Envision Tomorrow Program to witness the restoration of homes that are safe, sanitary, secure, and comfortable for program enrollees. 

METRICS: CLIENT CASE LOAD TOTAL: REPORTING PERIOD: March 5 – June 25, 2021

• Total Clients Served: 54
• Number of cases submitted to Unmet Needs Roundtable For Review: 6
• Number of cases approved by Unmet Needs Roundtable: 4
• Total enrolled in the Envision Tomorrow Program: 40
• New Enrollments during reporting period: 1
• Total Cases Closed: 4

The spirit and resiliency of a people are most strongly on display in the aftermath of a disaster. As we recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the unity of the community is vital towards the achievement of a clear and concerted vision.

The St. Croix Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business, and other organizations working within St. Croix to assist individuals and families as they recover from Hurricane Maria.

The goal of the LTRG is to unite recovery resources with the community needs in order to ensure that even the most vulnerable in the community recover from the disaster.

The LTRG officially formed under the fiscal sponsorship of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development in 2015. Under the guidance of FEMA and the American Red Cross, members formed committees to carry out the work of the organization.

The year of the pandemic, 2020, is in the books! We faced new challenges, new obstacles, new norms, and finished the year with much accomplished, stronger community partnerships, increased coordination with government agencies, and a renewed commitment to our beloved island home.

In this year of quarantines, hand sanitizer and mask-wearing, we celebrated new partnerships with Frederiksted Twin Lions Club, Mario's Water Crystal, Guayabal Foundation, St. Croix Boys and Girls Club, Broadband VI, Flemings' Transport, Designs by Regal, Project Hope, Catholic Charities, Mutiny Island Vodka, and Community First. We strengthened our work with FEMA, VITEMA, Dept. of Health, Dept. of Human Services, Dept. of Public Works, the Office of Disaster Recovery, and AARP.

We met needs by providing water, masks, and hand sanitizers to senior communities. We provided fresh produce to vulnerable populations. Our youth filled sandbags and our members helped distribute them to the community. We provided more than 500 hurricane prep kits to seniors in St. Croix. We raised $11,856.17 between 28 local businesses and 11 individual families. And we granted $98, 130.84 to 22 faith-based organizations.

We worked with our sister islands to bring the VI Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) back in good standing, with updated bylaws and newly elected officers from both districts.

We are grateful for the support of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development through their fiscal sponsorship and to our wonderful partners at GlobalGiving and Island Spirit Fund for their continued financial support.

In the coming year, we will continue to transition from our Long Term Recovery Group status to the St. Croix COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) as we turn our focus to preparing for all hazards that could impact our island.

With gratitude for allowing us to serve the St. Croix community and our sister islands, the staff of the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group:

Jay Rollins, Executive Director for National & Regional Relationships

Delia Richardson, Executive Director for Community Engagement

Christina Joseph, Executive Assistant

Rosalie Javois, VISTA

Dametria Douglas, VISTA

DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT

Disaster Case Managers (DCMs) are the life-line for disaster recovery in helping families access resources to recovery. During this reporting period, 101 clients were served, including two new enrollees into the program. Services continue to focus on providing financial assistance, service referrals, advocacy, and comprehensive goal setting. The program aims to attract residents whose homes are still in need of repair from damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 to assist them with any help they may need for a return to normalcy and maneuvering the requirements of different funding opportunities.

Twenty-four cases were closed this reporting cycle. Service coordination contributed to one long-standing client finally accessing a new apartment through Section 8. This disabled client was referred after the hurricane when the landlord increased rent beyond the capacity to pay while refusing to make storm-related repairs. With the threat of homelessness looming due to the expiration of the state of emergency for eviction expiring later this year, the DCM team found a funding source to pay a portion of the moving fees, enabling the client to move.

There are currently 54 clients awaiting the Envision Tomorrow program, which provides home repairs through a federally funded program. Progress has been made in acquiring information on the steps to approve home repairs through this program. We anticipate these clients being able to continue to move toward restoration, with DCM support and guidance. One family member spoke fondly of the DCM that helped her mother recover from the storm damage:

“Mother's home was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria and despite the damages, she was forced to continue to live in the dwelling. She is a senior and appreciates her independence but struggled to go through the recovery process. She had been living in the damaged home since the hurricane and we feared for her health because of the extent of the damages. We pursued all the available avenues we could find but did not get any solution. Our DCM was able to obtain funds for the necessary repairs to make the home comfortable, safe, sanitary, and secure and our mother was able to regain her life and independence."

REBUILD PROGRAM

The pandemic forced us to shut down our volunteer rebuild committee. Our last team left on April 4, 2020. With the help of Lutheran Disaster Services reconstruction staff and My Brother's Workshop staff and youth, they were able to complete two additional homes. The program officially closed on June 26.

Our sincerest thanks and gratitude to Mr. Chris Finch of Lutheran Social Services for chairing this committee and working with all the volunteers that came to support our efforts. They were able to accomplish rebuilding 71 homes through the program.

UNMET NEEDS

The Unmet Needs Committee fills a critical role in disaster recovery. When a Disaster Case Manager has exhausted all resources available to a beneficiary and needs are still not met, the Unmet Needs Committee steps in to fill the gap.

With the closing of the Rebuild Program, funding was shifted to the Unmet Needs Committee to continue to support our clients. In 2020, we were able to fund 11 cases through funding from Cane Bay Cares, CFVI, and GlobalGiving totaling $202,575.75. Here are two examples of cases that were funded:

Case 1 is a 77-year-old disabled St. Croix resident that has been living in a home severely damaged by Hurricane Maria for the past three years. This client is in poor health and legally blind. The client sustained total roof damage that resulted in massive leaks throughout the home and damage to the windows, doors, and tiled floors. The electrical wiring throughout the home sustained major damage from water entering the circuitry. Although some progress has been made, the home still has significant repairs that need to be completed to make the home livable, safe, sanitary, and secure. The Unmet Needs Committee will provide funding for the contractor fees to repair the electrical system in the home, replace damaged windows and exterior doors, and repair cracks in the interior load-bearing walls.

Case 2 is a 52-year-old St. Croix retired senior resident that sustained major damage to their home during Hurricane Maria. The damage included total loss of the roof, damaged kitchen, bathroom, windows, and floors due to the home being flooded. All appliances and furniture inside the home were destroyed. The home is still without a functioning kitchen. The Unmet Needs Committee will provide funding for the contractor to install kitchen cabinets and a sink.

YOUTH COMMITTEE

The Youth Committee's fearless chair, Xawntoia Franklin, and her committee have a mission to include youth voices in the recovery process-for the youth, by the youth.

Three LTRG Youth Committee (YC) members, twelve Disaster Preparedness Ambassadors (DPA), and five community members participated in the St. Croix Children's parade on January 3, 2020. Their parade entry consisted of a dance routine, a truck with DJ, props depicting various disaster preparedness items (eg. First aid kits, flashlights, bleach, bottled water, etc.). DPAs handed out first aid kits and shouted out a newly formed slogan that 'Preparedness doesn't start in May it starts from Fete'.

The LTRGYC hosted biweekly meetings from January through June 2020 in the hopes of hosting a Youth Opportunity Fair in May 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the island went into an island-wide shutdown and the YC and DPA were forced to pivot to implementing virtual strategies in order to provide support to youth quarantined at home. During March 2020 - June 2020, DPA produced five 1:00 minute videos that were posted to social media (eg. TikTok, lnstagram, Facebook etc). Produced videos covered staying safe during a pandemic and disaster preparedness protocols. The videos were viewed hundreds of times and increased traffic to the LTRG's social media pages while sharing important information. While virtual meetings continued throughout the summer, meetings consisted of procedural housekeeping issues and supporting DPA as they navigated their way to a new normal.

The LTRGYC members suffered a series of personal losses that led to a hiatus of meetings in September and October. Meetings resumed in November with FEMA Corps participating in the most recent virtual meeting hosted on November 19, 2020.

WELLNESS

The Wellness Committee started 2020 off strong by recognizing faith organizations who had participated in activities and projects planned by the Wellness Committee and/or in collaboration with our partners. Certificates were printed, sleeved, and presented at 2 LTRG Townhalls. We planned an additional Meet and Greet/VOAD Informational Meeting to distribute the remainder of certificates but were required to postpone due to Covid-19 restrict ions.

Due to Covid-19, much of our focus changed to Wellness Check-in Calls/emails to faith leaders to encourage, assess needs, inform of community needs, announce available training/workshops/resources, and facilitate collaborative efforts. We also began focusing more intently on the mental health needs of the community, which seemed to be magnified by Covid-related circumstances.

Many new collaborative relationships were started or deepened, additional faith leader contacts were made, workshops and various events were promoted and even attended by committee members, many plans were formulated, but modified and often eventually postponed due to Covid-19 and related issues. The committee continued to meet 1-2 times monthly, primarily via Zoom.

CONCLUSION 

As we said before, the work in 2021 will not slow down! Please help us continue the work through spreading the word, attending our virtual town hall meetings, volunteering on a committee, and monetary donations.

We are grateful and proud of the work that has been accomplished, and we look forward to continuing to serve in 2021.