Civic Sites
Atlanta
The Atlanta civic site, which has long worked with families in several inner-city neighborhoods, is working on making services to hurricane-displaced families available at its new Center for Working Families that opens at the end of October. "This is a complicated process," says Gail Hayes, Atlanta civic site manager. "Once we know who’s really going to resettle, then we’re going to reach out to those families. We’re using the schools as our entry point."
Atlanta public schools reported enrolling 571 hurricane-displaced children in over 70 schools, as of September 21. The local United Way has been leading the community effort to help thousands of evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi who’ve relocated to the Atlanta area.
A Casey grantee, Quality Care for Children, also has pitched in by offering its child care resource and referral services to all Katrina families. The Foundation made this possible by allowing the agency to redirect some of its unspent grant money. "Jobs seem to be the number one issue for families right now," says Hayes, adding that a recent jobs fair cosponsored by United Way drew a large crowd.
The Metro Atlanta Evacuee Resettlement Network has been established to coordinate efforts to help hurricane survivors in the Atlanta area and beyond. Over 200 people – representing faith, government, and nonprofit partners – attended a meeting last month to craft a 90-day response plan focused on addressing aid and resettlement needs including employment, housing, food, benefit assistance, transportation, child care, and youth development. Some displaced families initially stayed in emergency shelters, but have moved to hotels or motels and are now moving to transitional or permanent housing, depending on whether they choose to stay in the Atlanta area or return to New Orleans.
Baltimore/New Haven
Baltimore and New Haven, both Casey civic sites, have not received as many displaced residents as expected. This has been the case for other communities also located relatively far from the Gulf Coast and not designated as "host states."
People who have arrived in these communities are staying primarily with friends and relatives. Some found temporary housing in motels or strangers’ homes with help from the Red Cross, churches, and area agencies. "When people have a choice to make, we’re seeing the power of social networks and the power of place," says Ralph Smith. "They’re going where they have kin, and they don’t want to go too far from home."
Baltimore’s service assistance center for families displaced by Katrina has helped 850 evacuees. Baltimore City Public Schools has enrolled 18 children whose families evacuated. With some help from the Casey Foundation, Baltimore City government shipped over 600,000 pounds of goods, much of it donated, to Katrina victims. The Foundation helped connect the city with UPS, which donated several trucks to transport goods and supplies from Baltimore to the hurricane-hit Gulf Region. The Foundation also has discussed ways to help the city and family service organizations meet the long-term needs of relocated families that choose to remain in Baltimore.
New Haven, there are less than 100 evacuee families. Casey Family Services has contacted city officials to offer help including clinical support, such as grief and other kinds of counseling as needed; homes for those who have been displaced; and help purchasing home goods, supplies, and other resources. In addition to individual staff donations matched by the Foundation, Casey Family Services staff members at the Hartford division also have contributed clothing, sleeping bags, toys, and other items to a local Katrina Relief Tag Sale and donated a number of items to the National Foster Parent Association, which has set up a relief fund for foster families who have been affected by Katrina.