Jimmie Ann McDonald was living a perfectly normal life prior to March 2023, when a tornado ripped through the small town of Amory, Mississippi, leaving her without a home and everything else she had owned.
Jimmie was blessed with a FEMA Unit, as a temporary residence for up to 18 months. Jimmie petitioned for a reduced purchase price for the FEMA unit and was accepted by FEMA, but did not have nearly enough to make the purchase, leaving her stressed that she would not have a home or anywhere else to go before the deadline.
She started working with DSC SVDP-USA Disaster Case Manager, Chyna Howard, and mentioned that she was a “Gift from God”. Within 2 months, the Disaster Case Manager was able to quickly secure funding that would forever change her life. Lutheran Disaster Services agreed to fund part of the FEMA unit check, and the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also agreed to assist Ms. McDonald. The local SVDP Conference has been working collaboratively with DSC to assist their “Neighbors in Need” that were impacted by the deadly March 2023 tornados. Lutheran Disaster Services (LDS) wired the funds to the conference and the FEMA unit purchase price of $5,603 was paid for by two faith-based groups working together. This ecumenical approach kept the family from being homeless and turned them from renters to homeowners. DSC contributed $426 for Flood Insurance which was a requirement to purchase the FEMA unit and DSC provided $2,000 in a furniture voucher for client. At the age of 61, Jimmie McDonald is beyond proud to be a first-time homeowner and will be fully recovered once furniture is delivered.
As Pastor Allison with LDS said, “It takes a village to help a family recover from a disaster”.
