Cape teacher who helped collect supplies for Sandy victims weighs in on aid money fight

By Colleen Hogan

CREATED Jan. 6, 2013 - UPDATED: Jan. 7, 2013

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  • A Cape Coral teacher who helped with Sandy relief efforts speaks out about Congressional aid fight Video by fox4now.com

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. - Super fight over Superstorm Sandy aid.

Friday, the new Congress approved $9.7 in federal aid for storm victims. Four In Your Corner's Colleen Hogan has more on the hold-up and is getting reaction.

It was supposed to be $60 billion in federal aid for victims but just under $10 billion was approved. It was the first order of business for the new Congress. They picked up the matter after the previous Congress shelved a vote on the aid money earlier in the week. 

A Cape Coral teacher, who along with charter school students, has been doing what she can to help victims, reacts to the hold-up.

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"It's gonna take time," Oasis teacher Elisa Collins said, about the aid money getting to victims. "Everything is gonna take time."

We asked her what she thought about the delayed vote in Congress.

"I think with any bureaucracy, there's always red tape," she said. "We as victims want somebody to come and rescue us right away. And that doesn't happen."

"From what I understand, the money that's gonna be funneled through right now is for flood, and that's a huge problem," she said.

Like she and her students already demonstrated, she says the best way to get money to those who need it most, is still to dig into our own pockets and help if we can.

"It's the people acting on their own, giving on their own, that's gonna help these people," she said. "I think a lot more than the federal government will."

Lawmakers will vote on the rest of the aid package, $51 billion in aid, starting January 15.

Colleen Hogan, reporter
chogan@jrn.com