Church gives Unmet Needs $10,000

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The Unmet Needs Committee, which has been assisting victims of a July 8 tornado in Dickinson, has received an additional $10,000 through a Dickinson church, a committee official said.

Pastor Steve Tangen, Stark County Unmet Needs Committee chairman, said St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dickinson donated $10,000.

The newest donation will help the fund quite a bit, he added and will be distributed to residents who need help after their homes and businesses were damaged by the tornado.

The recent donation brings the fund to about $104,000, Tangen said.

“We’re meeting every couple of weeks and sending out money every couple of weeks,” Tangen said. “It’s an ongoing process.”

Richard Pokorny, treasurer for St. John’s, said the church is excited to be able to donate the money, which was applied for through the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, a national fund which assists in times of crisis.

Pokorny said St. John’s, along with other churches across the nation, donate to the fund.

“We applied to that to help these people out here and our wish was granted,” Pokorny said. “This is the first time we’ve been able to apply for it and receive it back, so to speak.”

Pokorny said the church opted to apply for grant money because members felt the Unmet Needs Fund could use it.

“We were looking for more funds to help the poor folks that needed more,” Pokorney said.

Tangen said money from the committee continues to go to applicants, and the application process has been reopened to those affected people who have exhausted assistance from other agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Businesses Administration.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 1.

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Tags: steve tangen, news, local, tornado