| Updated Cities
Chicago (IL)
Mayor Richard M. Daley team up with city agencies to create welcome centers for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. The welcome centers came complete with representatives from public schools, city colleges, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Housing as well as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and United Way. These centers have processed roughly 1,400 evacuees. The center has had great success resulting in 119 families being placed in private homes, distribution of 857 CTA transit passes, 68 students enrolled in public schools and 37 in the city colleges. The city has also sent 22 police officers, 30 firefighters, a fuel truck and a number of emergency response vehicles to Gulf States.
Providence (RI)
Mayor David Cicilline deployed seven firefighters to Hancock County (MS) to join a 40 member Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue team. They will be searching through rubble for victims in collapsed structures. They joined six other firefighters who were deployed to the Gulf region earlier. The six firefighters had been sent in response to FEMA's request for volunteers. They are currently working in St. Bernard's Parish (LA) on a 30 day mission.
Kansas City (MO)
Mayor Kay Barnes called upon local housing partners immediately after Hurricane Katrina evacuees began arriving in the Kansas City region. These included the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Fannie Mae, the Home Builders Association, Socialserve.com, HUD, Catholic Charities, the Kansas City Housing Authority, the Heartland Apartment Association, and the American Red Cross. Their goal was to identify as many as 250 rental housing units and to create an infrastructure for reaching out to displaced hurricane victims that relocate to the metropolitan region. The American Red Cross has assisted approximately 1,500 persons or 600 families that have thus far evacuated to Kansas City with basic support, including food, transitional housing, health care, and other essential items.
Phoenix (AZ)
Mayor Phil Gordon coordinated with the Arizona Governor's Office to bring more than 500 evacuees to the Phoenix area. The evacuees were flown into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport over several days. Once here, they were had the opportunity to receive medical attention. Shelter was provided in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The community donated clothing, water and food. Since the initial days of the arrival of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, almost all of these people are now out of the Coliseum. They have been taken in by some in our community, or have been placed into public housing. Also the city of Phoenix has sent 80 urban search and rescue personnel from the Fire Department and an army of technicians to the affect Gulf region.
Gary (IN)
Mayor Scott King worked with several city agencies, the Calumet Township Trustee's Office and the city's churches to prepare the Hurricane Katrina Family Assistance Center. The center provided comprehensive services under one roof including housing, food, clothing, medical services, free bus passes and registration for FEMA. Local ministers partnered together and raised $102,000 to aid hurricane victims.
Austin (TX)
Mayor Will Wynn opened the convention center to house those displaced by the hurricane. At the peak of the evacuation, Austin sheltered 4200 guests and now the number is about 1500. At the shelter, Austin, non-profit groups, and other governmental entities provided FEMA and Red Cross registration, medical care, dental care, optometry services, an assisted living facility, a full pharmacy, meals prepared by the convention center caterer, beauty salon, library, child care, parks programs, mental health services, chaplain services, job placement, housing placement, free air and bus travel services, a center for searching data bases for missing family members, 150 free phone lines, a similar number of computers with internet connections, banking services, clothing, cots, bedding, and personal supplies.
Louisville (KY)
Mayor Jerry Abramson helped organize a Community Career Fair. More than 80 employers were involved in the fair that was hosted by the Louisville Metro Community Action Partnership (CAP), with support from KentuckianaWorks. The career fair was previously scheduled for all local residents, and an invitation was extended to more than 2,000 displaced residents from the Gulf Coast region who have arrived in Louisville.
Salt Lake City (UT)
Mayor Rocky Anderson has worked with local businesses and the University of Utah to provide instruments to a group of evacuees currently housed at Camp Williams. They will be performing in a Marti Gras-themed parade followed by a benefit concert where many local bands will be playing.
Indianapolis (IN)
Mayor Bart Peterson has worked with the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development to have a relocation team on-hand to match victims with the city's 600 units of potential housing. Peterson has worked with the Indianapolis Airport to waive all landing fees for aircraft using it for relief flights. Locally based Republic Airways has dispatched several relief and retrieval missions to the New Orleans area. Indianapolis has also deployed Task Force 1, a specialized urban search and rescue team that includes firefighters, paramedics and medical personnel, to Mississippi.
Boston (MA)
Mayor Thomas Menino introduced the initiative "Bundles for Boston" to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The initiative established a drive for new clothes, toiletries, baby items and children's books. Collection points have been set up outside local churches and community centers.
Reno (NV)
Mayor Robert Cashell joined forces with county officials and the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to organize a community-wide drive to collect items for residents of three Gulf Coast cities. The mayor has been in direct contact with the cities of Gretna (LA), Moss Point (MS) and Ocean Springs (MS) and has learned the immediate needs of these communities. Donations are being collected at the Reno-Sparks Convention center.
| New Cities
Highland Park (IL)
Mayor Michael D. Belsky arranged weekly meetings with the Highland Park community to review opportunities to assist with fund-raising and educational programs. Research has been compiled into a reference guide for residents containing various agencies providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina for those that wish to help. Working with the State Legislature, Belsky is working to adopt a city from the affected Gulf Coast region. The city also sent police and fire personnel to Louisiana to assist local public safety officials with relief efforts.
Redmond (WA)
Mayor Rosemarie M. Ives acted quickly to provide personnel in some of the worst hit areas of New Orleans. Two days after Hurricane Katrina stuck the Gulf Coast a firefighter/paramedic was sent to join FEMA's Search and Rescue Team. One week following the storm, four more firefighters were deployed to the area.
Cherry Hill and Voorhees (NJ)
Cherry Hill Mayor Bernard Platt and Voorhees Mayor Michael Mignogna collaborated to launch "Follow the Sun" a 6.5 mile walk/run to raise money for those deviated by Hurricane Katrina. The event had 1,200 participants and rose over $30,000. Also collected were clothes, toys, school supplies and over 2,300 pounds of food. Next these two communities plan to adopt cities in the Gulf Region.
Ridgecrest (CA)
Mayor Marshall Holloway has worked with city officials to adopt the city of Long Beach (MS) and is raising money to aid them in their recovery. Holloway acknowledges that this will be a long term commitment with the goal to work Mayor to Mayor, Church to Church, and School to School. Holloway will be personally delivering a check when he flies in to meet with the Mayor of Long Beach and other community leaders.
Bowie (MD)
Mayor G. Frederick Robinson worked with the community to raise money and has donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross. Students at Bowie High School have filled 5,000 backpacks with school supplies and personal items for evacuees living locally and for shipment to other areas housing evacuees. City government will grant 2 weeks administrative leave to any staff persons wishing to volunteer to help in the affected areas. The city also plans to adopt a city and many local groups are partnering to provide assistance.
Arvada (CO)
Mayor Ken Fellman contacted Meridian (MS) Mayor John Smith to find out how he could help Meridian accommodate the evacuees residing in their community. Smith asked for money to help with school supplies for the children displaced by the hurricane. Arvada donated more than $5,000 of school supplies to ensure that the students who fled to Meridian get off to an even start in their new schools. Arvada also is conducting a drive to secure gift cards for retailers that supply such basic tools as hammers, screwdrivers, nails and other hardware that will help storm victims repair their damaged homes.
Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands)
Mayor Juan Tudela is sponsoring a "Make-A-Difference Day" fundraising walk-a-thon. Proceeds will be donated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina via the Red Cross.
Lincoln (NE)
Mayor Coleen Seng has organized a "point of contact" network for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The network is comprised of Lancaster County Emergency Management and about 40 volunteer health and human services professionals representing local hospitals and health organizations. So far 45 families matched with volunteers to help them navigate the health and human services system.
North Olmsted (OH)
Mayor Thomas O'Grady has initiated a fund-raising effort, in conjunction with the North Olmsted City Schools, to raise funds for disaster relief. The donations will go to the American Red Cross. O'Grady has also worked with other city officials to complete a scrub of housing stock and initiated contact with the North Olmsted City Schools to support refugees if needed.
Goodyear (AZ)
Mayor Jim Cavanaugh has organized a city employee fundraiser that will be collecting donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. City employees, from all City departments and particularly Fire, Police, and Public Works, will be standing at intersections collecting cash contributions from motorists stopped at traffic lights. In addition to taking cash donations, City employees will be stationed in the parking lot of the Palm Valley Cinemas to accept donations of dry goods to be sent to Slidell, Louisiana, a city of 30,000 residents 30 miles northeast of New Orleans.
Pleasanton (CA)
Mayor Jennifer Hosterman organized an effort to send 6 first responders to New Orleans, Biloxi and Baton Rouge to help with swift water rescue, morgue duty, and coordination of relief efforts with the Red Cross. In addition, the city has allocated $20,000.00 cash directly to the Red Cross. City employees and elected officials are working Farmers Market for the next month to collect cash donations from members of the community. Currently Pleasanton is hosting three families from New Orleans.
Arlington Heights (IL)
Mayor Arlene Mulder put together a drive for bottled water, diapers, formula and paper products to send to the Gulf Coast. The three-day drive drew more than 800 cars with donations as cars waited in line. Schools sent over buses and trucks filled with donated items from local families. A local moving company has offered to drive five trucks filled with donations to warehouses operated by the Houston Food Bank and the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast. By the end of the Arlington Heights drive, the trailers were jammed with boxes estimated at 32,000 pounds of goods.
Columbia (SC)
Mayor Bob Coble has prepared the city to receive and helped over 1,700 evacuees from New Orleans and Mississippi. All the displaced persons are staying in hotels. Coble has opened a community center in partnership with the University of South Carolina that delivers all the needed services including Red Cross, FEMA, medical, housing, family reunification, and others.
|
