Residents still trying to repair hurricane damage in afive-county area may benefit from an $80,000 donation from theUnited Way to the Southwest Mississippi Recovery Network.

The grant is slated to employ a case manager to serve Lincoln,Pike, Lawrence, Amite and Walthall counties. The case manager istasked with locating and assisting area residents who sustainedHurricane Katrina damage that was not covered by insurance or theFederal Emergency Management Agency, said Rita Rich, campaignchairman for the United Way of Lincoln County.

The case manager will also assist people in seeking morefinancial assistance from FEMA where applicable, as well asproviding spiritual guidance and counseling when needed, said NancyCaudill, project coordinator for the Southwest Mississippi RecoveryNetwork, a St. Andrews Mission program.

“The case manager will go into these five counties and interviewpeople with storm damage,” Rich said. “They will attempt to getassistance to see that the damage is repaired. The case managerwill also see that the work is done.”

A majority of the work will be done by volunteers, she said.

Caudill said she will provide “a gentle push toward rebuildingtheir lives.”

The free services are available at the network’s home office at410 Apache Drive Extension in McComb on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4p.m. or at walk-in centers in Lincoln, Lawrence, Walthall and Amitecounties on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The walk-in centersin Brookhaven and Monticello will be located in the library whilethe Tylertown center will be in the First United Methodist Churchand in Gloster at the town center.

United Way of Lincoln County is facilitating the grant, Richsaid. The money came to Brookhaven through the United Way ofAmerica.

The $80,000 is part of a donation of millions of dollars to theUnited Way from the federal President’s Fund organized by formerPresidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.