A year later, millions spent on help Oso victims after landslide

United Way of Snohomish County and Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation of Arlington together received approximately $4.7 million for relief efforts after the Oso slide.

United Way of Snohomish County and Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation of Arlington together received approximately $4.7 million for relief efforts after the Oso slide.

In advance of the one-year anniversary, the two groups provided an updated, financial distributions report. The tragedy claimed the lives of 43 people March 22, 2014.

About $3.1 million was distributed or will be distributed to families and individuals affected by the slide. Of the money that has already been distributed, 88 percent went to families directly impacted by the slide (such as those who lost a loved one, lost their home or experienced flooding). The balance went to people indirectly affected (such as those who needed gas cards.)

Meanwhile, the United Way of Snohomish County, which received more than $2.7 million nationwide after the Highway 530 landslide, is now focused on long-term recovery.

In the last two months, United Way gave North Counties’ Family Services another $300,000 for people affected by the slide, agreed to pay the salary of one long-term disaster case manager, provided seed money for a STEM education project in Darrington; and supported a parks restoration project in Darrington.

“From the very beginning, we made two promises to the families and communities of Oso, Darrington and Arlington — and to everyone who gave so generously to our fund,” said Dr. Dennis G. Smith, president and CEO of United Way. “The first was that 100 percent of all donations to our Disaster Recovery Fund would go to disaster relief; none of this money was spent on United Way’s administrative costs or overhead. The second is that we were committed to long-term recovery.”

Smith said there is $645,000 remaining in the recovery fund.

Examples of distributions to families and individuals include:

•$599,000 for temporary housing, rent, mortgage payments and replacement household items;

•$452,000 for emergency cash to meet immediate needs;

•$200,000 for medical and mental health care;

•$130,000 for gas cards to  cover the cost of driving around closed Highway 530;

•$42,000 for youth and educational programs;

•$33,000 for memorials and scholarships; and

•$25,000 for funeral-related travel expenses.

Corporate donations were used to pay for the increased community infrastructure necessary for slide response.  About $1.6 million was used to support community organizations and specific programs.

Examples of distributions to community organizations include:

•$452,000 for first responders in Snohomish County and neighboring jurisdictions;

•$444,000 for increased administrative costs and programs;

•$240,000 for economic development;

•$229,000 for youth programs; and

•$207,000 for disaster case managers, working directly with families impacted by the slide.

United Way’s Disaster Recovery Fund received support from more than 12,000 individuals from all 50 states; 86 corporations and foundations, all but two based in Washington State; and 150 individual fundraisers and benefits.