‘We just jumped in:’ 3 months since deadly Sussex County tornado, nonprofit provides recovery update

BRIDGEVILLE, Del.- “I got up, put my clothes on, and immediately took one family shopping. A couple families needed their medications because they didn’t have any. We just jumped in,” MacDonald said.

Back in April, Cornerstone Community Center in Bridgeville had boots on the ground just after the deadly tornado tore through several parts of Sussex County. “As a small nonprofit, I don’t get a ton of grant funding. It’s been me asking how am I coming up with this money? How am I going to help these people? We started using money that came out of our pockets,” Harris said.

In a matter of seconds, one person lost their life and significant damage was done. Now 90 days later, Executive Director LaToya Harris says they’re getting $30,000 in grant funding from the United Way’s Tornado Relief Program.

The money will help them continue supporting victims with home repairs, food assistance, and things that aren’t covered under insurance like tree removal. “We had one family who was quoted $50,000 for tree removal. That shows just how devastating the tree impact is,” Harris said.

Although recovery is ramping up, Harris says progress has been slow due to labor and parts availability.  She adds the situation has been a learning curve for all involved. “Different meetings are happening pretty much on a weekly basis with several organizations. We’re all trying to work together on how we can service these people,” Harris said.

Due to the magnitude of that tornado, Community Coordinator Kaytra MacDonald says their work is far from over. “We’re still out there on the ground finding more people that haven’t reached out to us. We’re reaching out to them and stopping by their houses,” MacDonald said.

“For us to get that phone call and they say thanks to you we’re able to sleep. Thanks to you, we’re able to eat and the smiles on their faces.”

The Bridgeville Kiwanis Club is another nonprofit providing direct relief. They tell 47ABC they’ve raised more than $5,000 victims which has helped pay deductibles for repairs.

Cornerstone Community Center also got a reimbursement-style grant from DEMA to help further assist families.

The nonprofit is still accepting clothing and monetary donations.

If you’d like to lend a helping hand, click here