Requests for aid in Fallbrook are shifting

The flow of people into Fallbrook's county-run Local Assistance Center, situated at the Fallbrook Community Center since Oct. 27, has slowed significantly.

Throughout last week, aid workers saw a flood of people seeking shelter, food and other necessities. On Monday, people were predominantly seeking help with the next stage of recovery - cleaning up their properties, obtaining building permits and getting their homes re-built, and coping with wage and business losses, said Ruth Ann Petro, a county spokeswoman.

People who suffered lost wages during the evacuations are seeking help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Employment Development Department (at http://www.edd.ca.gov).

Several avocado grove owners have sought aid from the Small Business Association (at http://www.sba.gov) and the county's department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/awm)

The Fallbrook Local Assistance Center will remain open for the foreseeable future, Petro said.

- Bruce Lieberman, staff writer