Multi-Agency Resource Center opens in Newport

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — For those impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency opened a Multi-Agency Resource Center, or MARC site, in Cocke County.

“It gives them one place that they can go instead of having to make a phone call or go online, or maybe go to four or five or six different offices to try to take care of things that they need to take care of due to the flood,” said the MARC coordinator, Jeremy Holley. “It gives them one place that they can come in, and all those resources are here, centrally located, and they can handle all of that while they’re here.”

Sunday, TEMA opened their third MARC site in Tennessee. The Newport location is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The other two are located in Elizabethton and Jonesborough Tennessee.

“They can start their FEMA application here, they can speak to the Small Business Administration, if someone lost their driver’s license or maybe their driver’s license is about to expire, they can actually come in here and renew that or apply for a lost license. Human services, child care, housing, all of those state agencies are set up here within these MARC sites,” said Holley.

As one of the first of its kind in our state, the center gives survivors a one-stop-shop for all things needed to get back to normalcy, with the help of other agencies like FEMA.

“Talking to everybody as far as registering for FEMA and giving them all the information about their case, and also give them advice of who else they can talk to, about their situation, whether it’s the county or the state, or continue on with Small Business Administration information too,” said a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center Manager, Jerome.

As someone who grew up in Cocke County, one TEMA member says they are glad to be supporting their community.

“Super impressed with how Cocke County has responded to this, and this community is so tightknit. And I keep telling people, you know, it’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming — and this disaster won’t be over in six months. It won’t be open in a year, it won’t be over then. So it’s going to take a while to bring it back, it took seconds to take it away, it’s going to take years to bring it back,” said TEMA’s State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Shannon Ball.

Even though it may take time, Ball says he is happy to do his part, and help the community he grew up in.

“I promise that, you know, we’ll do our best to make sure that Newport and Cocke County gets back on their feet and where they need to be,” said Ball.

Holley said the MARC site will be open for as long as it will be needed in the area. They are open seven days a week at the recreation department behind Cocke County High School.

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