NEWMARKET, N.H. (AP) – When federal officials granted a disaster declaration for New Hampshire homeowners following the May flood, Rockingham Community Action Center was one of four agencies equipped to handle flood-relief claims.

Now, the private, nonprofit organization says it doesn’t have enough money to help all of the roughly 300 people who applied for aid.

So far, the center has collected and distributed $126,000 for 28 claims. But 242 other claims are still sitting on the director’s desk, and he said the money is running out. “I would say between today and next Wednesday, we’ll probably be dry, as far as money goes,” Director George Thirsk said on Wednesday.

The center is a private, nonprofit organization.

The center receives funding from municipal, state, and federal sources, private foundations, United Ways, churches, civic organizations, businesses and individuals.

Thirsk said the organization has distributed an average of $4,500 per claim. If that average holds up for the remaining claims, the group will need a lot more money.

“If I look at the claims I’ve paid versus the ones we still have on hand – not ones we could receive – we’re looking at another half million to $800,000, possibly more,” Thirsk said.

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Information from: WMUR-TV, http://www.thewmurchannel.com/index.html

AP-ES-07-26-06 2056EDT