From Rotary District 6820 Governor Mark DiBiase:
I want to share important demographics about Sharkey County and Rolling Fork. The demographics of the town are roughly 70% minority population. The median income for a household in the city was $23,081, and the median income for a family was $24,911. The poverty rate in the US is estimated to be 12%; in Mississippi it is 19% and in Sharkey County it is 35%. Many of the residences are family homes, inherited and paid for by generations before them, and many are uninsured, as fixed incomes prior to this disaster do not allow for it to be paid.
FEMA will not reimburse 100%, with reimbursement rates varying typically from 40 – 70%, but that has not yet been determined. Additionally, the tornado ripped through the middle class mixed neighborhood and their business district, hitting those who produced income in this town and its tax base hard.
Rotary club members are business leaders in their community, and every one of them has been affected, whether it be their home or business. Their club members are already making a difference for others.
Please see the before and after pictures of an uninsured homeowner, whose house was salvaged in only 2 days through lumber purchases by our 6820 Foundation and donated labor by local Rotarians. These are the local leaders who KNOW the people and the needs on the ground, but they cannot honestly fund this alone. President Reid Carter and the entire club thank the larger world for reaching out.
The need is so great. We hear a lot about large companies talking about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, yet we here in the Delta, one of the poorest regions in the nation, rarely see a corporation bring manufacturing jobs here. We rarely see the money actually REACHING the community, as national organizations take overhead out of giving. I’m not scolding anybody’s efforts—they are all important. However, putting funds into our 6820 Foundation Disaster Relief fund is the best way to improve this situation long term, as these boots will be on the ground for years, not just days. We are living by the Four-Way Test as we determine where those funds go, and Rotary never personally gains from our efforts. Now would be a great time to live up to the “Motto of Service Above Self”, and make an REAL impact directly in this community.
We as Rotarians have always been worldwide leaders in all our communities. This community is no different than yours; look around at your own Rotary members and know that you would be working harder than anyone to rebuild where you live. Let’s live up to that motto by giving to others much less fortunate than us. We must help rebuild these people’s lives.