Where other aid falls short, nonprofit helps flood victims

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s been almost a week since dozens of people in Augusta watched their homes fill with water.

The Red Cross has taken 55 calls from people with flood damage – mostly from stormwater that found its way into the sewage system and then gurgled up into their homes through toilets and drains.

Forty of those victims qualified for help, leaving about 15 who don’t qualify for help because the water didn’t get quite high enough.

For those people who’ve lost many of their belongings and been forced out of uninhabitable homes, it’s been a struggle to find options.

At least one nonprofit, the Dream Center, is trying to help.

“If you need help, just get to the Dream Center. We’ll help you,” Director Kellie Cardona said.

TRYING TO FIND HELP:

• We asked city officials where people could go for help. They told us something similar to what they said earlier: that they’re assessing the situation and the damage and are directing victims to “appropriate services.” As for places like Virginia Avenue that have had well-known flooding problems for years, the city said, like it has in the past, that it will continue inspections and maintenance on areas where there are sewage overflows from flooding.

“We take those emergency situations, you know, somebody calls me on a Wednesday, they never needed our services before and they’re, you know, in a crisis,” Cardona said. “Well, then we’re gonna come open up the food pantry and take care of them, as well.”

The Dream Center offers a food pantry that’s open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, hot meals on Sundays, and clothes

But the list of free services doesn’t end there. There’s also counseling for women, a medical staff the first Saturday of every month, showers, and washer and dryers.

“So whatever the need is, we want to help meet that need, because we understand that every single one of us could be in this situation tomorrow,” Cardona said.

Organizations like the Red Cross can only help so many people, but the Dream Center is happy to fill that gap.

“Here at the Dream Center, we kind of pride ourselves on if you just show up, we’re going to take care of you,” Cardona said. “No documentation is required, or ID, or anything like that.”

YEARS OF FLOODING:

• As the city collects stormwater fees, what’s the status of ongoing issues?
• Some Augusta leaders have questions on stormwater funds
• As city collects $10M in stormwater fees, many wonder if money is going down the drain
• Concerns heighten over lack of benefit of stormwater fee
• Leaders hope to answer more questions on county stormwater fee
• Homeowner says stormwater fee doesn’t help with constant flooding

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