Recent wild fires at the Southern California unleashed the hopes of victims affected severely by unforeseen disasters or tragedies as the interest began to grow towards programs set aside by the government to quell the impact of natural disasters.

There are several programs at the disposal of government for it to immediately direct them in case of any natural or man made disaster. Government reacts towards natural disasters in two ways: firstly the center and the state governments programs are ignited automatically by presidential or gubernatorial proclamations and secondly state government after assessing into implications and complications of the disasters decide if there is any special assistance required for that particular disaster.

To provide assistance to businesses and individuals suffering from disasters, the state has started many local assistance centers through which it provides various grants and loans to the affected people according to their requirements. Hereby, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conforming to the memorandum of understanding with the State of California manages the program for suffering individuals and households. This program is known as the Individuals and Household Program (IHP) providing grants to the disaster affected persons to the tune of $28,800. This program is initiated at the behest of the presidential declaration of emergency.

Besides, The Department of Social Services (DSS) also has State Supplemental Grant Program (SSGP) to help individuals by providing additional funds but only to those who meet the federal IHP requirements and who had incurred the loses more than $28,800.

The whole cost involved in this program is incurred by the state. The maximum grant under this state funded program is $10,000. Any one affected can avail of the grant despite of belonging to any income category but this grant is provided only as a last resort. In other words this grant will only be released if every grant source either government or private or any other government programs or insurance could not cover the cost of the damage.

Yet another National Emergency Grant Program is provided at the discrete of the Federal Department of Labor that provides funds to the workers who have been temporarily unemployed or dislocated on account of the natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, freezes, or fires. These funds are required for creating temporary employment on projects like repairing of broken roads or buildings, cleaning up after damages, renovating, reconstructing of public structures providing facilities for lands in the vicinity of the communities affected by wildfires.

These funds create the space for the disaster affected individuals to sustain themselves as under the various projects government is providing them food, clothing and shelter and any other kind of assistance according to the severity of the damage. Other grants like FEMA Disaster Assistance aids the people with grants with the help of which they would set their place for shelter and fulfill other needs like establishing of the temporary costs and repairing and replacing damaged homes. Besides, it also meets the cost of other expenses like medical, funeral, heating, clothing, vehicle, legal, and even traveling costs.

It is duty of the government to again rebuilt the lives of people enabling them to again make their entry felt in the main economic stream refurbishing not only their own livings but also the economy as a whole.

John Goldman is one of the foremost advisors in matters relating to Government Grants and Financial Aid. To learn more about government grants and how to apply for them  http://www.governmentgrantusa.org the Government Grant USA website

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