With Christmas only two weeks away, many homes are decorated for the holidays. Some, however, are a long way from being ready for lights and ornaments. Instead, the owners are hoping for drywall and carpet. Other homeowners are struggling financially after having scraped together money to repair damage from the Aug. 4 flooding.

The water left many homes soaked, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency left the residents high and dry. Other help is still available, but a critical deadline is less than a month away.

FEMA denied Indiana's request for disaster assistance. A subsequent appeal was likewise rejected. Meanwhile, Louisville received FEMA assistance. The weather that caused the flooding did not discriminate between Louisville and Southern Indiana, but the federal government did. Last month, U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th District, introduced legislation that would ensure equitable treatment for communities bordering a state that receives FEMA assistance.

It's an idea worth considering, and it may help in the future. Right now, though, we're still trying to help folks who are having trouble recovering from the August flooding, and time is running out.

With that in mind, I've organized a meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Clarksville Community Center. The meeting will include representatives from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Small Business Administration. State Sen. Connie Sipes, D-New Albany and State Rep. Steve Stemler, D-Jeffersonville, will join me in leading the meeting. In addition, I've asked Hill's office to send a representative, and I've invited local government officials and representatives of relief agencies from Floyd and Clark counties.

The Community Center is at 2311 Giltner Lane, off Veterans Parkway, between the Clarksville Town Hall and Sam's Club.

After FEMA denied Indiana's request for assistance, SBA stepped in to provide loans to businesses, homeowners and renters.

Loans up to $200,000 are available for homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

Interest rates are as low as 2.75 percent for homeowners and renters, and 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition.

Last month, SBA established outreach centers in both Floyd and Clark counties. The centers were open for about a week. Now that they're closed, applications are available by calling SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or online at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

At my request, SBA agreed to send a representative to the meeting on Saturday. The representative will be there to answer questions and take loan applications until 1 p.m. It has concerned me that SBA has received relatively few requests for assistance. As of last Friday, SBA had received only 15 home loan applications from Floyd County and 19 from Clark. Of those, five of the Floyd County applications had been approved, with a combined loan total of $256,100. SBA had approved nine Clark County loans totaling $243,800.

I think it's difficult for homeowners and renters to understand that an agency with a name that suggests it's all about helping businesses - the Small Business Administration - is also there to help them. I'm concerned that some of the neediest people may not be aware that they can apply for help from the SBA, or may assume they won't qualify for a loan so there is no point in applying.

That's not the case. Folks who are turned down for an SBA loan may be eligible to receive a grant of up to $5,000 from the Indiana Disaster Relief Fund. SBA rejection is a required first step, and the SBA application deadline is Jan. 5.

Homeowners and renters who don't qualify for an SBA loan will automatically receive a letter from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security notifying them of the availability of the Disaster Relief Fund grants. IDHS officials were hoping to start sending letters this week.

IDHS will inspect damaged property prior to making a grant determination. If repairs have already been completed, the applicant will be required to provide receipts.

Please help spread the word to homeowners and renters who may not read this column. If they're still in need as a result of the August flooding, it's important they attend the meeting on Saturday. None of us wants to find out in mid-January that someone who could have received a state grant missed the SBA deadline and therefore is ineligible for help.

Many individuals and organizations have stepped up to help since Aug. 4. Thanks to their efforts and the generosity of private donors, new furnaces and water heaters have been installed in a number of homes, and various repairs have been made.

Still, some folks remain in need, and you can help them by letting them know about the meeting on Saturday. That way, we can help make sure that what is under their tree this Christmas - even if it's only the carpet - is clean, warm and dry.

Rep. Ed Clere represents District 72 in the Indiana House of Representatives. He may be reached by phone at 1-800-382-9841, by e-mail at h72@in.gov or by mail at the Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St., Room 401-7, Indianapolis, IN 46204.