Foundation poured for first tornado-destroyed home  rebuilt with financing from United Way Disaster Fund

The United Way Disaster Fund is financing the reconstruction of a house that was destroyed in the tornado that ripped through town last January.  

Selma Dallas County United Way Executive Director Jeff Cothran said this is the first of two houses the United Way will build from scratch. 

Cosby-Carmichael poured the slab for the new construction on Martin Luther King Street on Nov. 30. This area was hit hard by the Jan.12, 2023 tornado. Cothran said about a half dozen homes need to be rebuilt.  

Two of those other homes will be rebuild with financing from the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Cothran said they are looking for funding for the other homes. 

The United Way is one of the partners working with the Selma Long Term Recovery Committee. The Committee has an organization that is facilitating the selection of cases that most need help. “These cases come to us through UMCORP, and they’re anonymous,” Cothran said. “This is one of the first ones to come up.”  

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Cothran said the Board of Directors gave the go ahead to release some $220,000 from the disaster relief fund to rebuild the two homes. 

The Long Term Recovery Committee announced on Nov. 28 a partnership with Mennonite Disaster Services and Disaster Aid Ohio. Both will be working in Selma and Dallas County over the next several months to repair and rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by the tornado. 

While volunteer teams are providing construction labor free of charge, funding for building materials and sub-contractor work for the slated projects has been made possible through a variety of generous local and national donors, including the United Way of Selma & Dallas County, the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, Blackbelt Benefit Group, Black Belt Community Foundation and local churches. 

Cothran said that while this is the first house the United Way has rebuilt, they have been helping with tornado recovery already. “We’ve been buying furniture and replaced a couple of roofs,” he said. He said they have been working to repair homes as well. Cothran said it is exciting to see the recovery entering this new phase and to see “stuff is being done in the community, and people can see it.” 

The people getting the help signed up through FEMA after the storm. If anyone wants to help with donations, Cothran said, “They can go on my web page www.selmaunitedway.org and hit the donate button and make a contribution. They can also send a check to PO Box 298 Selma AL.” To find out ways to help you can also go to www.selmaltrg.com