To help communities across America still struggling to recover from massive tornadoes, storms, and flood-related devastation, AmeriCares has awarded more than $600,000 in disaster recovery grants.

The grants support medical care for the uninsured, mental health services and preparedness for future disasters. A total of 13 nonprofit organizations were awarded grants to support communities in eight states, including:

Missouri

• Children’s dental care: A $48,473 grant to enable a Joplin free clinic to offer rehabilitative dental care for children, after a massive tornado destroyed 13 dental offices.
• Women’s health care: A $40,810 grant a local nonprofit to expand women’s health services in Joplin.
• Diagnostic services: An $8,942 grant to a Joplin clinic to install electricity to power a donated x-ray machine.
• Ongoing care: A $60,000 grant to help a clinic in St. Joseph keep its doors open to treat patients. The clinic faced closure due to flood-related revenue losses.

Alabama

• Disaster preparedness: A $25,656 grant to a health center in Parrish to purchase a back-up generator, to enable the clinic to treat patients during power outages.
• Case management: A $50,000 grant to a Birmingham organization to fund case management services for 200 families affected by tornadoes.
• Emergency training: A $7,000 grant to train more than 200 first responders in Huntsville to work with autistic children and adults during emergencies.
• Mental health services: An $81,188 grant to a mental health center in Jasper for therapy and case management services to help 500 people struggling with post-traumatic stress and mental health issues related to 2011 tornadoes.

Texas

• Health care for the displaced: A $98,000 grant to a San Antonio organization to treat individuals displaced by disasters requiring skilled medical care.

Tennessee

• Disaster preparedness: A $37,180 grant to a health center in Memphis to purchase a natural gas generator to enable the clinic to treat patients during major emergencies and power outages.

Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz, www.Alertnet.org

Hurricane Irene swept along the New Jersey and New York shorelines, knocking down trees, leaving thousands of people without electrical power and causing flooding.

New York

• Mental health counseling: A $90,790 grant to three upstate school districts for counseling and referrals to help students and their families affected by tropical storms Irene and Lee.

South Dakota

• Mental health outreach: a $29,000 grant to a social services organization for outreach and case management services to help 1,000 families in rural areas affected by Missouri River flooding.

North Carolina

• Disaster preparedness: A $32,440 grant to purchase a generator that will allow a Raleigh community health center to continue operations during major power outages.

AmeriCares launched the U.S. Disaster Recovery Initiative on August 31, aiming to award a total of $500,000 in grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 for health-related recovery projects. Due to an overwhelming number of grant applications for worthy projects, AmeriCares increased the total amount awarded by more than $100,000.