OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — There are a host of local tornado relief funds that are actively raising money for recovery, but the timeline of disbursement from those various funds is unclear. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced a new plan Thursday night that could get contributions into the hands of storm survivors faster.
Stothert is asking the city council to approve a pair of resolutions at next Tuesday's meeting, seeking to reallocate $100,000 in funds equally between two separate tornado relief funds in Elkhorn.
The $100,000 was originally earmarked and approved within the 2024 budget for the Neighborhood Grants program, and stands to be reallocated to the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation and Relevant Community Church tornado relief funds.
Foregoing the awards, Stothert said, enables “direct and immediate aid to families.”
“Omaha is a community of caring and we all want to help,” she said in a statement. “That has been very apparent in the last week.”
For the last week, the majority of Elkhorn’s volunteer efforts have operated from Relevant Church, directly across the street from the Ramblewood neighborhood, one of areas most impacted by the EF-3 tornado that struck on April 26.
A public hearing is scheduled ahead of the vote by the Omaha City Council during next Tuesday's meeting, which needs approval before each organization can receive the financial aid.
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