PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Terry Bibo

(309) 657-3445 terry.bibo.freelance@gmail.com

FUNDER'S FORUM BEGINS SOIL REMEDIATION ASSISTANCE

WASHINGTON -- Removing broken glass, nails, boards and building materials embedded in the ground has plagued Tazewell County residents ever since the 2013 tornadoes.

Now the Funder's Forum of Tri-County Long Term Recovery has begun to address soil remediation cases, just as it has for other unmet needs resulting from the storm.

“We're going to treat them individually,” said LTR chairman Jim Fassino.

The Funder's Forum is a consortium of churches, community organizations and not-for-profit groups which meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Funders include Bethany Community Church, Caterpillar Foundation, Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross, Connect Church, Community Foundation of Central Illinois, Faith Evangelical Free Church, Faith Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church, Heart of Illinois United Way, Ignite Church, Jewish Federation of Peoria, Pekin Rotary Club, Peoria Friendship House, Richwoods Christian Church, Second Chance Church, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Salvation Army Heartland Division, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Sunnyland Christian Church, Tri-County LTR, Washington Apostolic Christian Church and Washington Illinois Area Foundation.

This week, Funders collaborated to pledge more than $150,000 worth of aid to those struggling with soil issues. These problems will be discussed as part of LTR's bi-monthly public meeting, which will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the LTR Center.

Overall, LTR has opened more than 1,000 cases and about a third of them remain open. Additional needs such as soil remediation are uncovered daily.

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