Community foundations across Northern Michigan have galvanized to help residents and businesses in the wake of an historic ice storm that wreaked havoc on the landscape.
To help cover the costs of shelter, food, and other immediate needs, community foundations representing about a dozen northern counties from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron have launched or reactivated special funds to provide support.
During the last days of March, an ice storm blanketed lower Northern Michigan, toppling trees, knocking down power lines and causing dangerous driving conditions. Thousands of people were left without power, and some were prevented from getting basic necessities because of downed trees and power lines.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the counties of Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena to help with response and recovery efforts to the communities affected by the ice storms that caused thousands of residents to be without power and basic necessities.
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Community foundations are collecting donations through designated funds to be able to award grants to nonprofit organizations providing vital services such as access to food and basic hygiene, care for senior citizens, and assistance with other essential needs. The foundations cannot provide aid directly to individuals; instead, they support the work of local nonprofit partners who are on the front lines of crisis response.
The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) reactivated its
Urgent Needs Fund to support those most impacted across the region. Seven of the nine counties in the foundation’s service area were under a state of emergency: Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and Oscoda.
The fund will provide immediate assistance to local nonprofits serving individuals and families facing hardship due to the storm's aftermath. The foundation has contributed $25,000 to make funds immediately available for use.
The first rounds of grants totaling $46,800 were approved this week and checks are being distributed. The next round of grants will be reviewed on Friday, and “we’ll continue making awards on a rolling basis,” said Patrick Heraghty, who is executive director of CFNEM.
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“We are fortunate to be part of a caring, generous, and resilient community,” he said. “The health and safety of our partners, staff, and neighbors is always our top priority, and we recognize that many in our communities will experience increased hardship in the days and weeks ahead … We anticipate needs in our community to continue for weeks and months to come and hope that generous support of this fund will continue.”
The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Community Foundation launched an Emergency Response Fund to collect donations and provide monies to organizations helping residents and businesses with immediate needs of food, shelter, gas reimbursement, and more.
“We’re getting the word out about the fund, as people are literally getting back online and it’s taking off,” said David “DJ” Jones, who is executive director of the foundation and was among those impacted by the ice storm. “We’re making it easy for people to feel good about supporting the folks in Emmet County.”
Applying for assistance is a simple online process, he said, adding the organization will be dispersing monies twice a month The maximum grant is $5,000. So far, the fund has collected $40,000 in donations, adding to the $50,000 the foundation already put aside.
With the
Emergency Response Fund, the organization is borrowing from its pandemic playbook when a similar fund was created, Jones said. This time around, however, the plan is to keep the fund active to be ready for future community challenges.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my experience here,” Jones said. “This is the second crisis we’ve had to deal with since COVID. It’s sure an eye-opener.”
Even now, nearly two weeks later, broken limbs hang on trees and debris remains. Piles of trees and brush line local streets. Some people remain without power.
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“I don’t think people realize the severity of the storm – people think we had a little ice,” said Sara Ward, who is president of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. “This was a blanket of an inch or more of ice on everything – trees, powerlines, houses.”
Staff from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources continue to assess damage and conduct cleanup at several state parks, state park campgrounds, state forest campgrounds, boating access sites and state-managed trails in Northern Michigan.
DNR crews are also working with local agencies and utility companies to clear debris, prioritize the restoration of essential services and ensure access to critical infrastructure. Much of the work is being coordinated with the Michigan Army National Guard.
For its part, the Charlevoix County Community Foundation has activated its
Urgent Needs Fund, initially set up to help people during the 2008 Recession and periodically used since then for human services needs. The fund was created to support nonprofit partners, schools and municipalities during times of need to help them provide food, shelter, heat, and other basic services.
“We started promoting the Urgent Needs Fund last week – we weren’t even in the office ourselves - the power was out,” Ward said. “Folks have been responding by giving online, but people are also sending checks – a common way to give. Many, many people want to support neighbors and friends.”
In Otsego County, the Otsego Community Foundation is collecting donations through its
Disaster Response Fund, which was set up in the wake of a destructive tornado in Gaylord and the county nearly three years ago.
Also helping out is After the Storm, a nonprofit organization launched by the Michigan Conference in response to a flood in Detroit and Southeast Michigan in 2022. That same year, the organization also responded to the Gaylord tornado, working with more than 100 families to rebuild and recover.
"We're supporting any way we can and can help with long-term case management when it's needed," said Nancy Money, executive director of After the Storm, adding the organization has been meeting with Michigan emergency officials to help support recovery work.
"Our role is the long-term piece of it. There's a rescue response and we are the recovery piece," she said. "After the response phase is done, we will step in to support homeowners, individuals and families."