EKY FLOOD Program Accepting Applications for Disaster Relief Workers in Eastern Kentucky
A new program in Eastern Kentucky is accepting applications for disaster relief workers to assist in ongoing efforts to help the region recover from devastating flooding in the early morning hours of July 28.
The EKY FLOOD (Finding Local Opportunities for Overcoming Disaster) program is an initiative of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) and provides funding to cover wages for individuals to participate specifically in cleanup and humanitarian efforts in the region for up to 12 months. Eastern Kentuckians who are already volunteering in recovery efforts or who may want to begin working can now apply for paid positions to continue work that has remained ongoing since the flood water receded.
“The flooding our region experienced was unprecedented and resulted in a tremendous amount of loss for so many people,” said EKCEP Executive Director Jeff Whitehead. “The work to recover and rebuild began that day but will remain ongoing for some time. This new program will help ensure that we have workers in place to get people and businesses back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 13 Kentucky counties within EKCEP’s service area have been identified as having sustained substantial damage from the floods. The EKY FLOOD program will cover the wages of workers in affected counties to provide the following disaster relief services:
Cleanup and recovery efforts including demolition, cleaning, and reconstruction of damaged structures and lands.
Humanitarian assistance including the distribution of food, water, and other supplies to individuals who remain homebound and those living in isolated and remote locations.
Identifying specific needs within communities and facilitating processes in place for individuals to receive assistance.
Providing outreach to determine individuals’ needs as they relate to public health and safety.
Staff members with EKCEP are currently working with partner organizations to determine where relief workers employed under EKY FLOOD can be most effectively employed. Anyone living within EKCEP’s 23-county service area interested in applying for an open position can do online at ekyflood.com.
Funding for EKY FLOOD was provided by the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet as part of a U.S. Dept. of Labor national dislocated worker grant (DWG). Eligibility for open positions will be determined in accordance with federal guidance related to DWG programs.
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EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org, http://www.jobsight.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.