Individuals directly impacted by the bridge disaster (including survivors of the collapse, family members of the deceased, and emergency response workers) or their families are eligible to apply for assistance from the Minnesota Helps Fund to cover expenses resulting from the bridge collapse. Eligibility will be determined in accordance with official lists of bridge collapse victims and survivors.
For an applicant to be eligible for assistance, the bridge collapse must have caused his or her income to decrease and/or expenses to increase so the applicant can no longer afford basic necessities; or must lack the resources to cover without significant hardship, expenses incurred as a result of the bridge disaster. Determination of this level of need is left to the organization reviewing the application.
The Minnesota Helps - Bridge Disaster Fund is designed to provide some measure of financial support for obtaining essential goods and services. The fund does not provide permanent assistance or compensation for losses. The amount of support available for each victim is limited. We can, however, try to alleviate to some degree the financial and emotional burdens caused by the bridge collapse. To that end, grants have already been awarded to organizations providing mental health counseling and other services to aid the victims. The Minnesota Helps - Bridge Disaster Fund is also now providing funds to organizations for limited financial assistance to eligible individuals.
Eligible expenses include:
- Medical expenses not covered by insurance
- Psychological or grief counseling expenses not covered by insurance
- Car repairs, replacement or other costs not covered by insurance
- Caregiver expenses
- Essential living expenses (such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, transportation or child care) which have gone unpaid due to loss of wages
Additional expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Minnesota Helps Fund has limited resources and applicants may not receive the full amount of the request.
An individual or family directly impacted by the bridge disaster can request funding with one application. Generally, families will be eligible to submit only one application, although it can cover several items.
Applications for individual financial assistance can be made through organizations that will receive funds from Minnesota Helps - Bridge Disaster Funds. Individuals or families seeking financial assistance should contact:
Bonnie Frazer, Resource Coordinator
United Way
651-291-8407
The application process will include:
- verifying and assessing eligibility,
- gathering information to complete an application form that identifies the individual's specific needs, and
- providing documentation related to the request such as unpaid bills and invoices from vendors.
The Application for Financial Assistance along with a Long Term Recovery Plan will be presented to the Long Term Recovery Committee by the Resource Coordinator. The Long Term Recovery Committee includes representatives from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, Catholic Charities, and Waite House.
Applications for funding approved by the committee will be sent to the Minnesota Helps Fund.
Application requests will be reviewed weekly. Applicants will be notified of denied requests within one week of the committee's decision. Whenever possible, other options will be discussed with the individual. Approved funds will be disbursed by the requesting organizations no longer than two weeks after being reviewed and recommended for approval by the committee.
