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Date 3-3-06
Contact Steve Rouse 601.266.4491
HATTIESBURG—Katrina
Aid Today, a new program sponsored by the Institute for Disability
Studies (IDS) at the University of Southern Mississippi, is offering
recovery assistance to Hurricane Katrina evacuees with disabilities
and their families.
Katrina Aid
Today is offering help to persons with disabilities affected by
Katrina as they navigate the often complex service systems provided
by community and government organizations.
Funded by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security through a contract with the National Disability
Rights Network and Mississippi Protection and Advocacy System Inc.,
Katrina Aid Today provides the following services:
- Information
on local, state and national resources
- Referral
services and follow-up
- Individualized
needs assessment
- Recovery
planning
- Assistance
with FEMA and Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Employment
service/Housing referrals
- Referral
for advocacy and legal services
“The grant will
also assist evacuees with children who are transitioning from one
school district to another, as well as give special attention to
unmet needs caused by Hurricane Katrina,” said program coordinator
Patricia Curb.
The program
is unique, said Royal Walker, associate director of the Institute
for Disability Studies, because it not only offers initial referrals
to services but follows up each case on a long-term basis.
“Case management
is such a critical service to assist individuals with disabilities
and their families to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina,”
said Royal Walker, associate director of the Institute for Disability
Studies.
Curb said the goal of the Institute for Disability Studies is to
meet and serve 1,000 clients in two years, the life of the grant.
“This program
is different than other Katrina relief efforts because it gives
special attention to people with disabilities and is sensitive to
their specific needs,” Curb said.
Katrina Aid
Today is administered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief
(UMCOR), the humanitarian relief and development agency of the United
Methodist Church, a worldwide denomination. For 65 years, UMCOR
has alleviated human suffering by providing practical support to
survivors of natural and civil disasters, without regard to a survivor’s
religion, race, gender or national origin.
IDS is Mississippi’s
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities,
providing training, community service activities, research and information
that promote the independence, productivity and community inclusion
of individuals with disabilities and their families. For more information,
call 601.266.5163 or visit www.usm.edu/ids.
For more information,
call 1.866.249.3848 or 1.888.671.0051 (TTY) if you live in Hattiesburg,
southern Mississippi or coastal areas, or call 1.866.883.4474 if
you live in Jackson, central or north Mississippi. Or you can visit
the Web at www.katrinaaidtoday.com.
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