A disaster recovery resource fair will be held in Hopkins County this weekend to help survivors of the tornado that ripped through west and central Kentucky nearly six months ago.
The Community Foundation of West Kentucky is hosting the Hopkins County Disaster Recovery Resource Fair at the Hopkins County Career and Technology Center in Madisonville from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be a variety of groups there to help those impacted by the tornado with things such as housing, insurance and loans.
One of the groups that will be there is the Kentucky Housing Corporation. Joe Prichard, managing director of multi-family asset compliance, said the event will have resources from the the federal, state and local levels.
“It’ll be a good resource for anybody displaced, especially about the tornadoes from last December, to come and get answers if they’re having trouble knowing what to do next,” Prichard said. “This fair will be the place they need to go.”
Other groups participating include the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local economic development groups, local Habitat for Humanity chapters, housing authorities, Catholic Charities, and more.
The event is free, so attendees aren’t required to bring anything with them.
“It’s an information gathering event, so if someone has specific questions, they’ll be able to get that contact person they need right there and then they can follow up later if needed,” Prichard said. “They should be able to leave with the information they need for the next steps in rebuilding their lives.”
Spanish and ASL interpreters will be available if needed.
Lily Burris is a features reporter for WKMS. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University. She has written for the College Heights Herald at WKU, interned with Louisville Public Media, served as a tornado recovery reporter with WKMS and most recently worked as a journalist with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and baking.
