wfn.org | [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 652-Storm relief stations established

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Storm relief stations established throughout Louisiana

Nov. 21, 2005	 News media contact:   * ( ) * {652}

NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Betty Backstrom*

BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS)- First Street United Methodist Church, located
in the central part of New Orleans, is one of six storm relief/recovery
stations being established in areas of Louisiana affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with the Louisiana
Annual (regional) Conference in setting up the stations, carefully
chosen to offer close proximity to storm victims in hard hit areas.

"First Street United Methodist Church offers a prime location for one of
these stations," said the Rev. Lance Eden, pastor. "Although our
facilities were blessed to virtually be spared from the devastation, the
area surrounding the church for miles was severely impacted."

Each storm relief/recovery station is staffed by a director, a
construction director, a case management director and a part-time
administrative assistant.

"The director works with volunteer teams coming in the area to provide
relief and recovery assistance. We are still in the relief phase for
most areas," said Jim Bailey, director of the Slidell United Methodist
Storm Relief/Recovery Station at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

As recovery and rebuilding begin, a construction director will oversee
efforts to ensure that all work is completed properly and efficiently.
The case management director will assist a team of case managers,
serving as volunteers, who will work with storm victims to determine
their specific needs and develop a recovery program to meet those needs.

"Perhaps an individual needs help with debris removal. Another may need
help with construction because their insurance coverage and help from
FEMA does not quite cover all their costs. Maybe someone needs a new
refrigerator, but with all the financial losses suffered, they simply
can't afford to buy one. Once the case manager determines those needs,
then the wheels are put in motion to find solutions," said the Rev.
Darryl Tate, director of the Baton Rouge based Louisiana United
Methodist Storm Recovery Center, which oversees the operations of all of
the relief/recovery stations. Tate, pastor of St. Luke's United
Methodist Church in New Orleans, is one of dozens of clergy displaced by
Hurricane Katrina.

Meeting the needs of each client will ultimately be addressed in concert
with other relief agencies like the Red Cross and Catholic Charities.

"Unmet Needs Committees will be established in most areas to provide an
arena for a cooperative effort. This approach will help to avoid
duplication of efforts in working with storm survivors," said Tate.

On a recent trip to the Uptown United Methodist Storm/Recovery Station
at First Street United Methodist Church, office staff for the Louisiana
Conference bagged groceries and personal supplies for storm victims
through the distribution center operating in the church's fellowship
hall.

"Although most stations will not have a supply distribution component,
the Uptown Station will continue to disperse food and other donated
items because a number of the storm victims within walking distance of
the church were impoverished before the storm hit," said Tate.

Two members of First Street United Methodist Church worked alongside the
conference staff, greeting storm victims seeking help. Laura Bell and
her mother Lillian Daniels, members of the church for more than 50
years, lost homes in New Orleans East and the Gentilly area,
respectively.

"Our entire family evacuated to Galveston, Texas, when Hurricane Katrina
was heading our way. Fifteen of us were housed in a three-bedroom beach
house on the island. It was crowded, but we felt blessed to have
shelter," said Bell.

Like so many in the diaspora from New Orleans, Bell's family found
themselves running from a second storm when only four weeks later
Hurricane Rita barreled toward the Texas-Louisiana border.

Now back in Louisiana, a number of the family are living with Bell's son
in his New Orleans Westbank home, which was basically untouched by the
hurricane. Both Bell and Daniels have been fortunate enough to find
construction crews that are working on the restoration of their
respective homes.

The smiles and helping spirits of these United Methodist women were
inspiring to everyone volunteering that day. When asked what was fueling
their positive outlook, Lillian Daniels said, "Well, we still have these
bodies. We lost things, but no one in our family was harmed."

"We'll be volunteering at the church on a regular basis, offering
encouragement to those in need. After all, we understand quite well what
they are going through," said Bell.

*Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United
Methodist Church's Louisiana Annual Conference.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470
or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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