By Dalia Diaz
Rumbo has been keeping an eye on many of the organizations that are handing money out to victims of the Lawrence Gas Explosions. One of the organizations that we reached out to was the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC) who is charged with overseeing the Essex County Community Foundation and its Lawrence Emergency Fund. Since this past Monday, a new fund was announced by Governor Charlie Baker called the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund.
For the Lawrence Emergency Fund the website states “…so they can distribute in the form of stipends to affected individuals and families.”
For the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund the website states “Funding is provided to appropriate agencies or churches that directly support the individuals and families impacted by these emergencies.” Columbia Gas recently donated $10 million to this fund.
What Rumbo understands is that these may be two separate and different funding accounts. One for people, the other for businesses. In the midst of the confusion, I placed a call to the GLCAC Director, Evelyn Friedman to ask about the amount of funds available in each account. Ms. Friedman explained that the Lawrence Emergency Fund had around $385,000.
Columbia Gas started distributing assistance immediately and they decided on a formula to process requests for funds victims depending on the number of people in the family for all three towns. “It was also chosen to revise the system used with the evacuees in Puerto Rico,” said Ms. Friedman.
I am not sure what process would be used for requesting funds from appropriate agencies or churches, which agencies were “appropriate”, the plan to distribute to families and individuals directly affected, the meaning of “directly affected”, the formula on the amount any individual or families is entitled to from the funds, and other questions that are appropriate to enlighten the resident of Lawrence and Greater Lawrence.
The questions and concerns are appropriate. After all, there seems to be no transparency to many of the agencies collecting funds for distribution. People have to make calls to make these agencies transparent in order to eliminate the political and favoritism that become involved in these organizations. Rumbo wonders whether the Board of Directors, which includes Representative Frank Moran, Attorney Socrates De La Cruz, Reverend Victor Jarvis, and top three board directors who reside outside of the City of Lawrence can answer these questions. Additionally, if these board meetings are public, no notice is issued on their website or distributed to residents so they may get an opportunity to hear the board debate, policy approval or hear Director Friedman’s communication during those meetings.
The board of directors are recommended by political/elected officials from the Greater Lawrence area (Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Lawrence) and approved by the board members themselves. So when we are concerned about politics and favoritism, you can see why we are concerned.
The City’s Community Center Volunteer (Isabel Melendez) has had no communication with GLCAC. That means that Victor Jarvis, Frank Moran, Neily Soto, Socrates de La Cruz, Senator Barbara L’Italien, Diana DiZoglio, Johan Lopez, Myra Ortiz, Johana Santos and other board members are in approval of not working alongside Isabel Melendez, who has been made the City Community Resource building leader by Mayor Rivera, which by the way, was not tapped to lead the collection efforts. That is a city-owned building and should have been used it as a shelter, as well. That job fell to Council President Kendrys Vasquez, with Councilor Payano and other councilors to run the shelters (we will have a story on that later this month.)
A search of the GLCAC website had an instant “click here to help” link but no “click here to request assistance” link. A victim of the gas fire sought out the GLCAC by directly visiting their office on Essex Street and was only provided $500 stipend with a message that once more funds become available they may qualify to obtain additional funds. However, it’s still unknown to many what that amount is at the moment. Funds distribution for victims, from Columbia Gas, ran from $100 up to $300.
But that is not the only organization raising funds for victims of the gas explosion/fires. The Red Cross sent out communication to donate for this cause. But how much of the fund raised actually go to the victims or those that were evacuated? The same question should be asked of the Bread & Roses and the Greg Hill Foundation.
According to Ms. Friedman, the Red Cross paid for the first two nights at a hotel and Columbia Gas for longer stays.
Other organizations did not collect monetary funds but asked for donations of food, clothing and other items. The City of Lawrence itself collected needed items from many people and from many places in New England, so did American Latino Committee, Debbie’s Treasure Chest, Lazarus House, and the non-profit group Violence in Boston. I believe each organization should have to write a report of the items collected and distributed so that transparency to its people is, well… transparent.
As for the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund, a panel of 21 state and local government officials and nonprofit leaders met to organize a system for how the needs of those affected can be most effectively met. That’s 21 government and non-profit agencies!
So, why do we write of the transparency? One person lost everything in their apartment and has only received $700 from the Lawrence Emergency Fund and Columbia Gas stipend, the rent deposit from the apartment that is not livable at the moment, and that’s it. In the meantime, moneys seem to be donated and collected by these organizations. But what that money actually does and where it goes to, is a mystery to only a few who hold the political and favoritism purse.
