United Way offers Emergency Management Assistance Fund for citizens

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The COVID 19 epidemic has people in the community pulling together to help others.

The United Way of North Central Mississippi is offering assistance to families who have been directly affected as a result of COVID-19.

Layoffs and small business shutdowns.

Financial hardships are placing many local families in a world of uncertainty.

But they’re not in this alone. The United Way has begun a COVID-19 Emergency Management Fund to help keep them afloat every step of the way.

“These are not problems. The problem you can sit on the back-burner. These are challenges. Challenges that have to be met at the forefront,” said Executive Director of United Way of North Central Mississippi Candy Crecink.

She says the organization has developed this assistance program to support people through this critical time of need.

“We’ve established an Emergency Management Fund that people can donate to either for food purchases or to help with utilities and mortgages. There’s going to be repercussions. People are going to say I’m sitting on furlough, I’m still unemployed, I still need food,” said Crecink.

Residents in Oktibbeha, Choctaw, Webster, and Winston counties are eligible to receive assistance through the fund.

But first, there’s are a few steps to follow.

“The applications are online. The way the system is set-up, once they’ve filled out online it will alert the office that you have an application then we will proceed with the next step. Which is review of all the documents. It’s real specific on that because you want documents. If it’s rent or mortgage we will need validation of where the check needs to be paid to. If it’s a utility bill we will need a copy of that so we’ll know who to pay,” said Crecink.

With the possibility of a high demand, Crecink said all people who apply must be directly affected by the pandemic.

“These have to be COVID-19 related, this is because you either have been furlough, laid off, or even maybe released from your job and you lost your fund, lost your salaries. To verify that, there’s a document or contact information we’ll need with the employer,” said Crecink.

The United Way of North Central Mississippi will host an Emergency Food Drive to help with insecurity in our area during this time.

Donations will be accepted until April 26.

For more information, click here.