michelle24
09-06-2005, 08:38 PM
Faith community part of states' plans to absorb evacuees
By Samantha Epps Anderson Independent-Mail
September 6, 2005
Some of the refugees who have come to Georgia and others who are expected to arrive in Greenville this week likely will find homes in Anderson and northeast Georgia, and church leaders are gearing up to help them find long-term shelter in the area.
Georgia already has taken in more than 1,500 evacuees, and the American Red Cross is working with churches and other community groups there to help those left homeless by the storm to find housing for at least the next few months. Now it is South Carolina's turn.
The Rev. Sam Neely, pastor of Welfare Baptist Church in Belton, said a faith-based group called the Upstate Disaster Coalition for Hurricane Katrina is coordinating an effort to find more long-term housing for displaced residents who initially will be housed at the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville.
The cities of Greenville and Columbia each have agreed to accept up to 2,000 patients who will be treated at area hospitals, said John Legare, public information coordinator for the South Carolina Adjutant General's office.
Initially, families of the patients will be at the center, where area churches will provide counseling and entertainment, he said. The next step would be to match the people up with community members who can offer shelter.
"That's where we are coming in as churches," Mr. Neely said. "We will be helping to find housing that's available, to adopt families or help families to make sure that we get them into the community. We feel that some of the people coming are not planning on going back."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked states to volunteer to take in refugees.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division confirmed Tuesday that 2,000 or more people displaced because of the storm could seek temporary shelter - and perhaps eventually permanent residence - in the Palmetto State.
"We figured that with households having three members along with the patient, that gave us a number of about 6,000 that would come," Mr. Legare said. "We figured 10,000 would be a worst-case scenario."
That number could conceivably swell to 18,000 people based on evacuees coming for non-medical reasons, Mr. Legare said.
More than 1,500 displaced residents now are being housed in Georgia, said Lisa Janak, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Office of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources and the American Red Cross are operating 16 shelters - many of them churches - for the evacuees, Ms. Janak said.
The American Red Cross has asked people who want to offer shelter to evacuees to do so through their church or a faith-based organization, she said.
Churches and faith-based organizations may offer shelter by visiting www.connections.com.
By Samantha Epps Anderson Independent-Mail
September 6, 2005
Some of the refugees who have come to Georgia and others who are expected to arrive in Greenville this week likely will find homes in Anderson and northeast Georgia, and church leaders are gearing up to help them find long-term shelter in the area.
Georgia already has taken in more than 1,500 evacuees, and the American Red Cross is working with churches and other community groups there to help those left homeless by the storm to find housing for at least the next few months. Now it is South Carolina's turn.
The Rev. Sam Neely, pastor of Welfare Baptist Church in Belton, said a faith-based group called the Upstate Disaster Coalition for Hurricane Katrina is coordinating an effort to find more long-term housing for displaced residents who initially will be housed at the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville.
The cities of Greenville and Columbia each have agreed to accept up to 2,000 patients who will be treated at area hospitals, said John Legare, public information coordinator for the South Carolina Adjutant General's office.
Initially, families of the patients will be at the center, where area churches will provide counseling and entertainment, he said. The next step would be to match the people up with community members who can offer shelter.
"That's where we are coming in as churches," Mr. Neely said. "We will be helping to find housing that's available, to adopt families or help families to make sure that we get them into the community. We feel that some of the people coming are not planning on going back."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked states to volunteer to take in refugees.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division confirmed Tuesday that 2,000 or more people displaced because of the storm could seek temporary shelter - and perhaps eventually permanent residence - in the Palmetto State.
"We figured that with households having three members along with the patient, that gave us a number of about 6,000 that would come," Mr. Legare said. "We figured 10,000 would be a worst-case scenario."
That number could conceivably swell to 18,000 people based on evacuees coming for non-medical reasons, Mr. Legare said.
More than 1,500 displaced residents now are being housed in Georgia, said Lisa Janak, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Office of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources and the American Red Cross are operating 16 shelters - many of them churches - for the evacuees, Ms. Janak said.
The American Red Cross has asked people who want to offer shelter to evacuees to do so through their church or a faith-based organization, she said.
Churches and faith-based organizations may offer shelter by visiting www.connections.com.