Meridian Public Schools

Class of 2024 NACHO night virtual meeting has been postponed until WEDNESDAY, June 3rd, due to ongoing power and restoration efforts within our community. Register tiny.url/nacho2024. You do NOT need to register if you have already done so. Thank you for your continued patience and support.

01 J Boyer LH Digital CONTACT: Selina Tisdale, City of Midland Public Information Officer Bridgette Gransden, County of Midland Public Information Officer PHONE: City PIO: 989-633-1014 County PIO: 989-633-1015 DATE: May 26, 2020, 5 p.m. Midland County Damage Assessment Teams Collecting Data; Beware of Scams Related to Flood Restoration Damage assessment teams working with the Midland County Operations Center (EOC) are currently canvassing areas of Midland County to assess flood damage and assist property owners with completing the Midland County Flood Damage Assessment Tool. These teams will ask property owners questions related to their flood damages only and will not require or ask you to sign documents or provide as part of their data collection process. Team members will be wearing high-visibility vests and will not ask for any personal identification information such as social security numbers, household income, or birthdates. These individuals are volunteers working in coordination with the Midland County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and are not affiliated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Securing state and federal assistance is a detailed process that begins with in-depth damage assessment at the local level. In order to provide a clear picture of the horrific devastation in this community to the state and federal governments, it is critical that every residential, business and non-profit property sustaining flood damage complete the Midland County Flood Damage Assessment. FEMA will not be directly involved until a presidential disaster declaration has been issued. Residents should not attempt to contact FEMA directly regarding their flood damages Residents should visit the Flood Damage Assessment Tool link at the following locations: · Top of the County of Midland website: www.co.midland.mi.us · Top of the City of Midland website: www.cityofmidlandmi.gov · On the Midland County 911 website: www.midland911.org · Via the direct link: https://arcg.is/1H00aG · By calling 2-1-1 for those without internet access Some residents have reported being contacted by individuals identifying themselves as government representatives or private contractors asking for personal identification information. These individuals are not affiliated with FEMA or any Midland County Residents are cautioned to be mindful of scams and should be aware when from agencies you’re not familiar with that want to sell you restoration or flood-related services. Do not be pressured into signing any documents or paying up-front costs for services that will be provided at a later date. Please continue to monitor updates and conditions via the following resources: www.midland911.org www.cityofmidlandmi.gov Facebook channels for the following entities: Midland County Emergency Management (MI) Midland County 911 City of Midland, Michigan – Municipal Government Twitter: @CityofMidlandMI Twitter: @MidlandCountyMI Call 2-1-1 Sign up for 911 text and email alerts through Nixle.com ### END ### Katie Guyer, CPM Communications Coordinator City of Midland 333 W. Ellsworth Street, Midland, MI 48640 989.837.3307 | cityofmidlandmi.gov

Good Evening Mustang Community, Here is the latest information that I have to share. Today was certainly a little slower with calls for assistance and the number of volunteers in the community. This is certainly understandable as many have returned to work and hopefully we are finally starting to catch up with some of the demand. That being said, there is still a need for more volunteer assistance. Many places still need assistance with demo work and trash removal. It is recommended that debris be bagged to the extent possible and that metal and appliances be separated from the other debris. That makes the job of trash removal and running to the dump for volunteers much more efficient. We are finally at the point where United Way and Dow Chemical are taking over the call center, volunteer check-in at the Sanford Pharmacy, and the donation and distribution center at Meridian Elementary School. Another Donation and Distribution Center will operate at the Sanford Senior Center on West River Road. Our call center will now redirect callers to the 211 number for the community. We are very grateful for their support and this will allow our staff time to regroup and plan for the end of the school year. Speaking of the end of the school year. We sent a survey out to our families and staff to help assist us with that planning. It can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdx0jO7D7i-zLUjFi849xkPkK6U21-k-oJJfi7IfRZGAar6SQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1Hi Friends, The School Food Service Program will begin again this Thursday. We once again need families to sign back up as we truly do not know the number of families can get to the school, how many have homes, power, or the ability to store the items at this time. Here is that link. Summer Meal Program Sign Up bit.ly/summermeals1 Internet Access is available at Meridian High School during normal business hours. It is set up in a way that will allow for social distancing. We are also working on laundry services for the community. We were contacted about setting this up and have offered space and resources. As soon as we have confirmation we will share out that information. The United States Post Office has also been authorized to set up a mobile location on our campus until repairs can be made to their facility in the Village. There is also help on the way in terms of debris and trash collection by the county. This is separate from your normal trash program. This should be making its way into the community later this week. I promise that the school district is not going to abandon the community during this crisis. We will continue to monitor the situation and needs and respond accordingly. We will also advocate for assistance on your behalf as we tell our story and communicate our needs. The message below is from the Midland County United Way. We appreciate their support as we recover from this tragedy. Regards, Craig Carmoney While this is probably one of our toughest chapters, there is good happening every day. We know you and those you serve must have many questions and we want to keep you in the loop as information continues to emerge. As we all work together to press forward, our team at United Way wants to walk alongside you. If you’d like to request volunteer assistance, please complete United Way’s volunteer request form. We will then contact you to confirm details. Our team will post your opportunity on our online portal and communicate it to the public so people can easily register. We've also added an FAQ section to our Flood Resources page. This will be updated frequently to ensure you have access to accurate information. Feel free to refer to this site for helpful answers to common questions. You can also visit reliefmidland.org for additional disaster relief information and resources. To minimize questions and help spread the word, we encourage you to like and share United Way's social media posts. Thank you for all that you are doing. Your efforts matter—and they are making a huge difference.

Supplies, Food, Water, Aide Available TODAY, May 26, Meridian Elementary School 8AM-4PM.

Good Evening Mustang Families, First of all, this community deserves so much credit for how quickly it has responded in this time of crisis. So many from within and outside of this community have mobilized to support our community. This is the latest information that I have to share with you and I apologize for any confusion. We are trying to provide accurate communication, but there are times when the information changes. There is a lot of confusion over where things stand with FEMA. At this point, the President has declared an EMERGENCY for this area. Unfortunately, until there is a DISASTER declaration in this area, no FEMA relief will be provided. The teams that are in the area are from Midland County Emergency Management and they are taking flood damage reports. Please use the Flood Damage Tool: https://arcg.is/1H00aG Midland County Emergency Management has also provided information on proper documentation prior to demolition or restoration projects. You are advised to use written documentation, receipts, photos, and videos. Meridian Public Schools virtual learning is still suspended. We will meet tomorrow to evaluate the situation in our area and provide information to our students and families on when things will resume. We understand that many families and staff have been impacted by this disaster. Your school district has focused its efforts over the last several days on providing relief to this area. Many of us were on Ground Zero on day one or hearing from our community about our needs and responded as quickly as we could. Some of our early efforts were a bit disorganized, but done with the best intentions. At this point, our systems are greatly improved. We have: · set up a donation and distribution center at Meridian Elementary School that is being run by staff and volunteers. · Setup a call center to collect information fromresidents and businesses in need of assistance. · Provided buses to runvolunteers to businesses and residences that are in need of assistance toeliminate congestion. · Provided assistance to four volunteercheck-in centers in the community to coordinate volunteers. Manythanks to our students, staff and volunteers who have made this all possible. We are hoping to hand off many of these tasks to other local agencies in the near future. In the last two days, more than 400 volunteers got dispersed to several locations throughout the greater Sanford Area. We continue to work with county officials to coordinate other efforts such as providing internet access at Meridian High School. I'm hopeful that another major community service announcement in partnership with Meridian Public Schools will occur soon. We are happy to provide our campus and resources to serve this great community to support our students and families. Regards, Craig Carmoney See Below for information form Midland County Emergency Management Teams from Midland County Emergency Management are out in the communities taking flood damage reports. More than 1200 damage assessments have already been submitted for the area. Keep up the great work until we get them all in! Damage assessment teams from the county are assisting areas with limited internet and phone access. As a business, individual, or non-profit organization that has sustained any damage or loss as a result of the flood, please visit the Flood Damage Assessment Tool link at the following locations: · Top of the County of Midland website: www.co.midland.mi.us · Top of the City of Midland website: www.cityofmidlandmi.gov · Via the direct link: https://arcg.is/1H00aG Residents and businesses are reminded to thoroughly document damage prior to demolition and restoration projects using written documentation, receipts, photos, and videos. This step is extremely important to assist in possibly receiving federal funding for Midland County. Once you click the link, you will be directed to a map. Enter the property address and search for the damaged property. When the property is found, a pop-up box will appear. Click the link “Click here to fill out a damage report” to be directed to the online form to report flood damage. The form takes approximately 5 – 10 minutes to complete and includes a section to provide photos of flood damage. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact 2-1-1 for assistance in completing the form. Volunteer Information All volunteers wanting to assist with flood cleanup in the greater Sanford area should report each day to one of three volunteer check-in locations: Sanford Family Pharmacy parking lot, 28 West Saginaw Road; Cleft of the Rock Church on West River Road, or at the intersection of W. Center and Oak streets. Volunteer check-in sites are open every day from 8:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. Debris Disposal Information The Midland Sanitary Landfill will be open to residential customers from 8:00 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25 to dispose of trash, flood debris, and yard waste. The Landfill will then resume its regular operating hours, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Customers accessing the Landfill will be required to show proof of Midland County residency. Debris generated outside of Midland County will not be accepted. Due to the high anticipated volume of customers accessing the Landfill, wait times may be significant. The Village of Sanford has dumpsters available downtown and volunteers available to assist with removal of items from residents’ vehicles. Curbside collection of flood debris will also be provided for village residents. Residents with flood debris should place their items at the curb for collection. Residents in other areas of Midland County should take flood debris and other items to the Midland Sanitary Landfill for disposal. Please continue to monitor updates and conditions via the following resources: www.midland911.org www.cityofmidlandmi.gov Facebook channels for the following entities: Midland County Emergency Management (MI) Midland County 911 City of Midland, Michigan – Municipal Government Twitter: @CityofMidlandMI Twitter: @MidlandCountyMI Call 2-1-1 Sign up for 911 text and email alerts through Nixle.com

We are going to be restarting our food program effective Thursday May 28th. We will no longer be offering delivery due to the current road conditions, we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. Please complete this new form even if you have signed up in the past. Summer Meal Program Sign Up bit.ly/summermeals1 We have new times and locations to choose from; this form must be completed by Wednesday noon to be eligible to pick up 7 days worth of meals on Thursday, the 28th. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we get started up again.

Impacted or helping with flood relief efforts? @DwynesDreamTeam is offering a drive-through Jambalaya dinner tonight at 6pm at @MeridianJuniorHigh and a gumbo lunch tomorrow at 12pm at @CleftoftheRock. Thanks to @UnitedWayofMidlandCounty for connecting us with them. #LiveUnited #SanfordStrong

Supplies, Food, Water, Aide Available TOMORROW, Mon., May 25, 12, noon to 2PM at Sanford Elementary Early Childhood Center AND Meridian Elementary School 8AM-4PM.

Help Sanford-Edenville-Beaverton-Greater Midland Area Clean Up All volunteers looking to assist with the flood cleanup in Sanford, Edenville, and Beaverton areas should report to the United Way volunteer check in center everyday between 9AM-4PM. Volunteers will be given a cleanup site to fit their time, ability and focus! Additional volunteer check in locations have been added to support the impacted surrounding communities. New Check in locations: Meridian Elementary School 3353 N. Meridian Rd Sanford, MI Cleft of the Rock Church 2575 N. W. River Rd Sanford, MI Village of Sanford locations: 28 W. Saginaw Road Sanford, MI Intersection of Center and Oak Want to help but not sure where to go? Need information on how to help? Text UWS to 31996 to receive information on where to volunteer and resources available!

Supplies, Food, Water, Aide Available TOMORROW, Mon., May 25, 12, noon to 2PM at Sanford Elementary Early Childhood Center AND Meridian Elementary School 8AM-4PM.

Sanford Elementary has food and goods for families from 12-2PM TODAY, May 24th!!!

Midland County Emergency Management now taking damage reports for the recent flooding in Midland County. If you are a homeowner, business or non-profit organization that has sustained any damage or loss as a result of the flood, please complete a report at https://arcg.is/1H00aG The Midland Damage Assessment app was developed for people to self-report damage to their property. The app has several questions to help the Midland Damage Assessment team determine the extent of damage in our community. Once you click the link, you will be directed to a map. Enter the address and search for the damaged property. The app will zoom to the property if it is found and a pop-up box will appear. Link to the online form to report flood damage. It should not take more than 5-10 minutes to complete and submit the information. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact 2-1-1 and they will assist you in completing the form.

Quick Flood Relief Update. FEMA has teams on both sides of Sanford Lake that are going door-to-door at this time. Specific times when they will be in certain areas are unknown. They are aware that the entire area was greatly impacted by this disaster.

Supplies, Food, Water, Aide Available TODAY, Sun., May 24, noon to 2PM at Sanford Elementary Early Childhood Center AND Meridian Elementary School 8AM-4PM. Need support with flood relief? Call our LOCAL response 989.495.2284 for help TODAY! Want to volunteer? Text 31996 to help!

Help Sanford Clean Up All volunteers looking to assist with the flood cleanup in the greater Sanford area should report to United Way volunteer check ins everyday between 9a-5p. Volunteers will be given a cleanup site to fit their time, ability, and focus! Check In Locations: Pharmacy Parking Lot 28 W. Saginaw Rd Intersection of Center & Oak Want to help but not sure where to go? Want information pertinent to volunteers? Text UWS to 31996 to receive information on where to volunteer and resources available!

Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network & MERPS partner to bring nonperishable food and cleaning supplies to Sanford Elementary Early Childhood Center TOMORROW, May 24, from 12 noon to 2 PM! Spread the word! Thank you MCEFPN! #sanfordstrong

Residents of the greater Sanford area: We have created a hotline if you are looking to report a need for volunteer assistance at your home! If you need help with damage, debris removal, or general clean up, you can call (989) 495-2284. Please note the call center is staffed from 8a-5p, but answering service is monitored 24 hours a day. We look forward to serving you!

Please read this for important information related to relief efforts and public safety. First of all, the FEMA team is currently on site in the Village of Sanford doing an assessment of the damage. Earlier today, I met with US Senators Stabenow and Peters, US Representative Moolenaar, former Michigan Attorney General Schuette and a leader from FEMA. They toured the area to see the devastation first-hand. Since pictures don't do justice to what took place, it's extremely important to have these officials here in person to see the impact on our community. They were able to see the hundreds of volunteers who were out assisting homeowners and businesses with cleanup. I was able to share the stories that I heard from residents who had lost everything and insisted that they were just fine during this time of crises. All of the volunteers who went door to door today heard similar stories and it speaks to the resilience and human spirit that exist in this great community. I emphasized with these officials that our homeowners and small businesses are hurting, worried, and need their assistance. I can assure you that between what they witnessed and heard about that Sanford left a lasting impression. I know that many of us fear that Sanford will be forgotten and left out of the recovery efforts. I've been assured that we will not be forgotten, but we need significant financial assistance for this area in amounts that can only come from the federal government. I would ask that you continue to share our story to get the word out. Like many of you assisting with the recovery efforts, it frustrates me to see the tourists come through and yet I had to remind myself that the more attention that we receive, the better off we may be when it comes to our story getting out and assistance coming our way. There are some public safety concerns to share. Consumers Energy is currently identifying live gas lines. Many of the lines are in places where there is a significant amount of debris. This especially true in the Village south of Saginaw Road. If you see signs about gas lines, please know those mark lines that are live and to not do any digging or work in those areas. The other public safety concern is that children and adults are walking on what was the bed of the lake. This is extremely dangerous as the banks are steep, slippery and unstable. As I was told many times today, we incredibly came through this without losing any lives and that's the most important thing. So let's make sure that we use caution and common sense and keep everyone safe. Lastly, please continue to check the Meridian website at www.merps.org for the latest area updates. Keep the faith and stay Sanford Strong. Craig

URGENT HELP NEEDED: Anyone have connections who can get dumpsters to town? Comment below:

SANFORD RELIEF VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 352 W Center, Sanford. NEEDS PEOPLE ASAP. Comment below if you can help!