EASTON, Pa. —\u00a058-year-old Frank Mulligan lost everything in the fire that destroyed the Hampton Hotel, right down to his grandparents’ Rosary.<\/p>\n
We first met Frank, a diabetic amputee, and his sister Melissa in February, just days after the fire.<\/p>\n
“I was worrying where my life was going to go. Am I going to be on the street somewhere? In a wheelchair with no legs,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n
But now, thanks to the help of the PA Disaster Recovery Assistance Program and his caseworker Seth, Frank is staging his personal comeback.<\/p>\n
“Seth jumped hurdles and bent over backwards for me. (cries) Thank you, Seth,” Frank said.<\/p>\n
The program, DRAP for short, helps people who are victims of disasters like fires and floods. It helps people who have no other options for recovery.<\/p>\n
“It’s a beautiful program,\u201d Melissa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if it wasn’t for them, my brother would probably be on the street. Even though he has me. My house is not handicapped accessible. That’s why I pushed to get him here,\u201d Melissa remarked.<\/p>\n
The DRAP program offers people like Frank up to $20,000 in grant money to pay for things like bedding, kitchen supplies, and more importantly, rent money.<\/p>\n
“We see a lot of people in apartment buildings that don’t have renters insurance, and when something happens, they lose everything,\u201d said Randy Padfield, director of Pa. Emergency Management Agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey may not have the funds to be able to help rebuild on their own or be able to start over again, so that’s what this program was designed for,\u201d Padfield added.<\/p>\n
Frank has received more than $3,500, allowing Frank to STILL be Frank and stay a while.<\/p>\n
“There’s things I need, but I’ll get there. I’ll get there,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n
The program has been activated 13 times in the past three years, and it helped 14 people here at the Hotel Hampton.<\/p>\n