In small and large communities across the U.S., local families reached out to help evacuee families from Hurricane Katrina. In our town, county and city officials worked from the beginning on a coordinated effort among businesses, churches, agencies, schools, and individuals to help evacuees in our area. Local social workers and counselors organized Evacuee Information Centers at each motel and shelter. In working with this effort, we found that there are many ways that local families can help meet the needs of evacuee families in their towns.
How You Can Help Evacuee Families in Your Community
Be informed. It's important to share accurate information only. Monitor your local newspaper, TV, and radio stations for the latest information about resources for evacuees. This information will help you find ways to volunteer time and resources toward your town's organized relief efforts.
Decide how you will help. Many of the evacuees' needs are similar when they first arrive - food, shelter, clothing, and rest. As their stay in your community lengthens, individual family needs emerge - health care, school, caring for pets, locating friends and relatives from home, accessing financial resources, long-term housing, jobs, and grief counseling. If you have the ability to help in one of these areas, focus on that. Don't try to do it all yourself. These families will need sustained assistance, so we must do our part but not become overwhelmed early.
Recognize secondary trauma. You can't help being touched by the stories of loss you will hear from evacuee families. Realize that you will feel some emotional effects from helping evacuees. You must take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, stay nourished, and don't overwork on the relief effort. Spend time with your own family doing the things that nurture your well-being.
Communication is critical. Circumstances change quickly, and good communication is vital to an effective local relief effort. In one location we used a simple message board for people to communicate with each other when questions are answered or resources are identified. Updated information and daily announcements were posted on the board so that everyone gets the message.
A TV, radio, and computer with Internet access help evacuees stay informed. During Katrina, families were able to use the Internet to listen to a New Orleans radio station that gave daily neighborhood reports. Computer access was critical for FEMA registration and information on insurance companies and banks.
The experience really opened my eyes to the need for my own family to make an evacuation plan. I found a lot of helpful tips online to decide what documents and information are vital if my family cannot reach our home. I keep essential information in a secure web-based location that I can access on any computer in case of emergency.
Next > Preparing for a Emergency Family Evacuation
Also see > Your Family Emergency Backpack