Video: Louisville is Providing Jobs to Storm Victims Through a Grant

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LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — The April 28th tornado not only left some Louisville residents homeless but jobless as well.

But thanks to a recent grant, the town is providing temporary jobs for the unemployed.

Earleen Crowson spends her days answering phones at City Hall in Louisville.

But that wasn’t her job two months ago.

Earleen was a nurse at Winston Medical Center, that is until April 28th.

The nursing home is part of our family so not only did we lose our job but we lost a large member of our families so it was devastating,” says Earleen Crowson.

Thanks to the National Emergency Grant Program, 50 unemployed storm victims, like Earleen, have an income for the next six months.

Earleen believes this job allows her and others to help with the recovery.

“It also gives us the opportunity to get out and help the community during the devastation getting into key places answering telephones, answering questions, returning calls,” says Crowson.

Many is this battered town believe the $5.2 million grant given to the state of Mississippi allows Louisville to stay united.

“The biggest concern for the mayor is we wanted to keep everybody as local as possible. We wanted to offer something where they could stay here within the city and keep the city so it’s going to help them pay their bills number one a lot of them…unemployment is not going to do that,” says Lucresia Beamon.

City Clerk Babs Fulton enjoys getting to know her new co-workers.

“I know it’s been a change for them to be doing paper work and answering the phones like they have instead of being assistance or nurses assistants but it’s been gone because we’ve enjoyed everyone of them,” says Babs Fulton.

People who lost their job because of the tornado can apply.

Lucresia Beamon, the Director of the Displaced Grant says there are still residents who need a job.

“I’m still getting people calling me every single day and the biggest thing I could possibly ask anybody in the city and county is if you have a need for someone just contact me. I do have a list where I can’t place people and I would really love to place everybody if we can,” says Beamon.

Even though these Louisville residents wait to return to their jobs, they continue to help the community get back on its feet one call at a time.

Those who work out of their home are also eligible for employment through this grant.

Categories: Local News

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