LANSING, Mich. — Some say a picture is worth a thousand words, but Harvey Edwards said his family picture, with his mom Vernitta Payne in it, is worth so much more.
“Every time I look at this picture, it makes me feel a little better,” Edwards said.
Vernitta died a few weeks ago when a tree fell on her home during a storm. She was 84 years old.
“After the tragedy, you know, we’re just trying to get through it,” Edwards said.
The home is completely destroyed and there’s still a lot to clean up, but Edwards and his family has had some help. The city of Lansing pitched in by helping to remove the tree.
“It was a good effort to help out this family where the mom had passed away,” said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.
Schor said this wasn’t the only area that needed to be cleaned up after the storm, which is why he has proposed a Disaster Relief Fund.
“We spent about 400 to 500 thousand dollars on the most recent storm,” Schor said. “So we’re going to try and get that money back from FEMA and then put it in an emergency fund so we don’t have to take money from the general fund.”
Before the fund could be created city council must approve it. but Schor is optimistic they Will because he says it’s needed.
Residents like Edwards are in support of the fund, and once his mom’s property is fully cleaned up, he said he has plans for it.
“I was gong to try and rebuild on it,” Edwards said.
