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Communities Respond to the Needs of Evacuees & Survivors

The Communities Respond website presents a compilation of events, activities, and information that were organized by communities throughout the country to express their grief, empathy, and concern regarding Hurricane Katrina and its consequences. This information was sent to the Association for the Study and Development of Community (ASDC) from different sources across the country and therefore we cannot guarantee its accuracy. The information is organized according to the major settings in which one might organize a response or offer any assistance.

If you would like to tell us about what your community or organization is doing, please contact the project.

VIEW INFORMATION ABOUT RESPONSES FROM THESE COMMUNITIES:

• Community Organizations and Non-Profits
• Children
• Schools
• Government
• Faith Institutions
• Media and Public Education
• Foundations/Funders
• Mental Health and Health Care Providers
• Other

STORIES OF HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE RESPONDED IN THE DISASTER AREA

HOW CAN I HELP COMMUNITIES RESPOND IN THE DISASTER AREA?

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND NON-PROFITS

MoveOn.org closed down HurricaneHousing.org on October 14, 2005. MoveOn.org has made arrangements with KatrinaHousing.org, a web site (http://www.katrinahousing.org) started by a group of volunteers in Utah, to ensure that the housing needs of hurricane evacuees are still being met. Information for hosts, evacuee resources, information about other organizations’ (e.g., Oxfam America, NAACP Disaster Fund, American Red Cross, etc.) relief and recovery efforts and information about direct support to victims can still be found at http://www.hurricanehousing.org.

Georgia State University students created a “help lab” and web-based resource to help displaced students from the Gulf Coast region get connected with university and community resources. Additionally, these students have conducted a needs assessment of the displaced students, and set up a pantry where displaced students can come to receive and request donated items.
(http://www.gsu.edu/katrina_students.html)

National and local non-profit and community organizations can improve the effectiveness of national-level aid efforts through collaboration with grass-roots organizers, mobilize community organizations to support the needs of the hurricane victims. And encourage public dialogue to increase community awareness and knowledge about the impact of the Katrina.

Examples and Resources:

COMM-ORG and the Association for the Study and Development of Community are jointly sponsoring a website effort to identify community-based relief efforts in the Gulf region. This website is a resource to locate community-based relief efforts, and provides contact information for community-based efforts that would like to be included on the existing list provided by this internet resource. (http://comm-org.wisc.edu/katrina/)

Chapters of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a community organization of low- and moderate-income families working together for social justice and stronger communities, will be “organizing Town Hall Meetings in over 30 cities to hear the experiences of hurricane survivors”. (http://www.acorn.org/)

New Orleans ACORN leader Tanya Harris will represent ACORN and the "Rebuild the Region" coalition of Louisiana (i.e., Louisiana NAACP, the Louisiana AFL-CIO, UAW Local 1926, SEIU Local 100, and local churches) to promote a just and inclusive hurricane recovery the week of September 19th.
(http://www.acorn.org)

CHILDREN

We must take care of our children as they are our future. The storm has displaced thousands of children and impacts children across the nation both emotionally and physically.

Examples and Resources:

The National Center Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) developed a guide for Parents/Children cope to “address their children’s concerns and worries arising from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and similar natural disasters that cause wide spread death, loss, displacement and injury". (http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/
edu_materials/Parents_Guide_Sept_%202005.pdf)

The New York University Child Study Center offers tips to schools and teachers dealing with children impacted by the hurricane.
(http://www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour/articles/katrina_tips_for_teachers.html)

SCHOOLS AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Schools provide an ideal opportunity for a community to help the younger generation. Many resources have been distributed to help cope with the tragedy. Schools and higher education institutions can help prevent further victims and promote a sense of community and security especially needed during this time of resettlement. One way is through educating young people about disaster preparedness, relief and recovery efforts.

In it’s wake, Hurricane Katrina has left hundreds of thousands of displaced students. These students are streaming into other states seeking schooling. It is important to meet both the immediate needs of individual students as well as plan for long-term challenges that the educational system will face in the future.

Examples and Resources:

The National Center for Homeless Education has complied a comprehensive list of links describing the ways in which states across the nation are responding to the challenge of education. (http://www.serve.org/nche/katrina/states.php) as well as a list or resources for helping students deal with the aftermath of the hurricane. (http://www.serve.org/nche/katrina/students.php)

CampusRelief.org is an information clearinghouse for both institutions and students as recovery from Katrina continues. (http://www.campusrelief.org/)

The United States Department of Education has developed a website detailing “Hurricane Help for Schools (e.g., Fact Sheets and Additional Resources) where schools servicing students displaced because of the hurricane can request school supplies. This site also contains information about “What Organizations Are Offering Schools” providing contact information for schools to request school supplies, personal items, desks, chairs, computers, textbooks, curriculum materials, counseling and other items. (http://www.ed.gov/news/hurricane/index.html)

The American Association of University Professors has compiled a comprehensive list of resources and information about higher education in Katrina's aftermath. (http://www.aaup.org/newsroom/Katrina/index.htm)

GOVERNMENT

State and local government should provide the necessary support to evacuees and survivors in their region and should distribute educational resources to their communities.

The government plays a huge role as they begin discussing new legislature, acts, and policies in response to disasters that occur on American soil and beyond.

Examples and Resources:

The State of Virginia has coordinated a response to the hurricane with immediate and long-term objectives. Coordinated efforts are being made by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Education to provide temporary housing and enroll evacuees and survivors in school. (http://www.vaemergency.com/newsroom/katrina.cfm)

The Mayor’s Office in Salt Lake City, Utah has created a web page for residents to register their interest to aid evacuees and survivors. "You can have them join you for dinner, you can help them find employment, you can show them around our city, or you can simply introduce them to other friends to make them feel welcome in our community." (http://www.slcgov.com/mayor/katrina_aid.htm)

The federal government has responded by creating the Katrina Recovery Job Connection to help link relocated evacuees and survivors to employers during their time of displacement, as well as recruiting employees to help with the clean-up efforts in the gulf coast. (http://www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs)

FAITH INSTITUTIONS

Faith and spiritual leaders play a critical role providing emotional and social support in every community.

Examples and Resources:

Catholic Charities is providing immediate and long-term assistance to victims of the hurricane.

In Memphis local Catholic Charities agencies are working with other groups in the community to assist the thousands of people who have come to Memphis for refuge by making housing arrangements in one of its facilities for families to stay. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=30089)

The United Jewish Communities (UJC) immediately began working with communities in the affected regions to assess the damage and help coordinate relief efforts in communities in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. “Richard Klein, the Network’s associate director and director of the Southeast region, is serving as a conduit for information for displaced evacuees. UJC and one of its partners in storm relief, the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies, have helped hundreds of hurricane victims find short-term housing.” (http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=162587)

MEDIA AND PUBLIC EDUCATION

The media has played a powerful role in the aftermath of the hurricane, directing people to the appropriate evacuation facilities, re-connecting people with their loved ones, and providing information about next steps and available resources. Media campaigns will reach the largest audience in the least amount of time. The local media should educate people in the local region about hurricane safety information and response and relief efforts. It is critical to have a multi-faceted media campaign that includes radio, TV, and print media.

Examples and Resources:

Many radio and public broadcast stations participated in "BroadcastUnity for Katrina Relief" by devoting airtime on Sept. 9 to the relief effort. (http://www.broadcastunity.org/)

The National Association of Broadcasters is “asking local stations to dedicate specific day-parts to "road-block" fundraising broadcasts so that the airwaves will be filled with appeals for contributions”. (http://www.nab.org/publicservice/relief/)

FOUNDATIONS/FUNDERS

The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region has established the Katrina Open Arms Fund to support the children and families affected by Hurricane Katrina who are evacuating to the Greater Washington region. The fund will support the needs of individuals and families while they reside in the community. Contributions to the fund will be granted to nonprofit organizations providing assistance through housing, medical care, food, clothing, mental health counseling, financial planning and child care, among other needs. Donations can be made through The Community Foundation’s web site at www.cfncr.org or www.TouchDC.org. Designate all financial donations to the “Katrina Open Arms Fund”.

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has created a Community Recovery Fund “with the purpose of working with local and national community development partners to support long-term redevelopment and recovery in impacted urban and rural communities.” The fund will be used for redevelopment efforts, building capacity of community organizations and local partners, and grants and loans for community development efforts. Donations to the fund can be made through the LISC website. (http://www.lisc.org/)

Establish an emergency fund to help hurricane victims with their immediate needs or long-term rebuilding and resettlement efforts.

Examples and Resources:

Bush - Clinton Katrina Fund to provide relief and rebuilding resources to help the victims of this disaster. (http://www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org)

Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund provides funds for both immediate response and recovery efforts. (http://www.servealabama.gov/)

Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund to meeting the needs of survivors and evacuees as they begin rebuilding. (http://www.mississippirecovery.com/)

The Jewish Federation has established a Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund to help repair the lives of those left devastated by this horrendous storm. (http://www.shalomdc.org/)

The National Education Association established a hurricane relief fund to help employees repair their lives and schools cope with the thousands of evacuated children. (http://www.nea.org/katrina/index.html)

More information about donating funds and volunteer opportunities can be found in You Can Help.

MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

As a result of the traumatic events associated with Hurricane Katrina, many adults, youth, and children will be in need of physical and psychological aid. Displaced youth enrolled in schools may need additional care. Coordination between mental health and health providers and schools is especially important to ensure that immediate and sustained care for our school aged youth and children.

Examples and Resources:

The American Psychological Association is offering assistance placing postdoctoral and psychology students and granting temporary licenses to psychologists impacted by the hurricane. The APA website is also listing opportunities available to psychology faculty, students, and interns that have been displaced as a result of the hurricane. (http://www.apa.org/ed/)

The Sacred Heart Health System in Florida offered their assistance in the disaster region by volunteering to take patients from the gulf region, donating the use of their medical helicopter AirHeart, and offering staff to relieve registered nurses in the gulf region. The medical helicopter also “flew multiple trips to assist in evacuating Tulane and to bring medical supplies and food, water, ice, flashlights, and a satellite phone for nurses and doctors still at the facility.”
(http://www.nursingspectrum.com/katrina/FloridaRNs.cfm)

The Department of Health and Human Services has a toll-free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By dialing 1–800–273–TALK (1–800–273–8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers to the hotline will receive counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network.

OTHER

Look towards the future

Although the spotlight on Katrina will continue to fade we need to be aware that this natural disaster will have important social impacts on our future. It is important for everyone to begin to look toward the future and try to minimize the continued trauma for evacuees and survivors as rebuilding and resettlement begin.

Examples and Resources

The issue of resettlement has implications for the development of human relations. In response to the hurricane, the National Science Foundation has announced that it will accept proposals for small exploratory grants on the human and social dynamics during resettlement. (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11678&org=SBE)

STORIES OF HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE RESPONDED TO THIS DISASTER

HOW CAN I HELP COMMUNITIES RESPOND TO THIS DISASTER?