Tree Care Enterprises works to remove a tree from a home on Highland Avenue on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The NorthWest Illinois Alliance of Realtors is making $25,000 in grants available to help provide relief to people whose homes were damaged in last week’s tornadoes and severe storms.

The funding comes from the Illinois Realtors Relief Foundation, a nonprofit formed in 2015 to help people affected by natural disasters. The same fund has helped after severe flooding in Freeport and after a tornado struck the Rochelle and Fairdale area in 2015.

“We live in this community,” said Ginger Sreenan, president of the board of directors for NorthWest. “We grieve with everybody that have had losses and those people who are really trying to get out from under all the tree debris and the devastation that was caused this past week.”

Related: Close-knit farming community rallies to help Rockford-area family after tornado

At least 20 tornadoes tore through northern Illinois and northwest Indiana last Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. That includes an EF-1 tornado in Rockford, an EF-1 tornado in Caledonia and Poplar Grove, an EF-1 tornado in Machesney Park and an EF-1 tornado that moved from Davis Junction to Belvidere.

Conor Brown, center, provides introductions during a news conference on Thursday, April 6, 2023, to announce $25,000 in grants available to those affected by tornadoes that hit the region on Friday. At left is Ginger Sreenan, president of the Northwest Illinois Alliance of Realtors board of directors. At right is Neeley Erickson, government affairs director for Illinois Realtors. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

The maximum amount awarded to each person will be $500, which is meant to bridge the gap left after other forms of assistance.

“We recognize that (amount) is nominal,” said Neeley Erickson, government affairs director for Illinois Realtors. “The idea is that it is to help an individual maybe pay for their insurance deductible or at least provide some additional assistance to make sure their home is safe and secure for living standards.”

You can apply online for the grant funding from now until July 1.

The Realtors group said the initial $25,000 may be increased if needed. For example, after floods hit Freeport the group initially set aside $10,000 but ultimately distributed approximately $40,000, Erickson said.

“Realtors are neighbors,” said Conor Brown, the CEO of NorthWest Illinois Alliance of Realtors. “We’ve had Realtors who were impacted directly, their neighborhoods impacted directly.”

How to apply

You can apply online for disaster relief assistance by going here. The deadline to apply is July 1.

If you need assistance in applying, you can call 815-395-6776.

NorthWest Illinois Alliance of Realtors is at 1161 Tebala Blvd. in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas

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