Louisiana’s Katrina

Experience

Louisiana’s Katrina

ExperienceDr. Rebecca White (Family Development)Dr. Diane Sasser (Family Development)

Charles Hebert (4-H Agent)

Teachable Moments: Rebuilding and Preparing for the Future

CYFAR Pre-ConferenceMay 16, 2006

Dr. Rebecca White (Family Development)Dr. Diane Sasser (Family Development)

Charles Hebert (4-H Agent)

Teachable Moments: Rebuilding and Preparing for the Future

CYFAR Pre-ConferenceMay 16, 2006

What would you do?

What would you do?

What would you do if a category 5 hurricane threatened your family?What would you do if a category 5 hurricane threatened your family?

What would you do if this is what is left of your family home?

What would you do if this is what is left of your family home?

What would you do to help your community recover?

What would you do to help your community recover?

What would you do to help your organization recover?What would you do to help your organization recover?

What would you do to help your child’s school recover?

Lauren’s ExperienceLauren’s Experience

Lauren Faust

St. Bernard Parish 4-H agent

Lauren Faust

St. Bernard Parish 4-H agent

Phase 1Phase 1

Immediate ResponseImmediate Response

Helping Familiesin the First Weeks After Katrina

Helping Familiesin the First Weeks After Katrina

• Immediate Disaster Response– Volunteering – Media blitz– Information outreach

• Expertise provided included:– Child and youth development– Stress management– Financial management– Home cleaning, repair and hazard mitigation – Food safety– Community development

• Immediate Disaster Response– Volunteering – Media blitz– Information outreach

• Expertise provided included:– Child and youth development– Stress management– Financial management– Home cleaning, repair and hazard mitigation – Food safety– Community development

Phase 1 – Immediate ResponsePhase 1 – Immediate Response

VolunteeringVolunteering

VolunteeringVolunteering

Media BlitzMedia Blitz

• Media effort by– FCS state specialists– 4-H state specialists– Communication specialists

• Media Targets– Radio stations, newspapers and

television stations

• Media effort by– FCS state specialists– 4-H state specialists– Communication specialists

• Media Targets– Radio stations, newspapers and

television stations

Information OutreachInformation Outreach

Information outreachInformation outreach

Trailer

Living

101

Trailer

Living

101

Information OutreachInformation Outreach

• Disaster Recovery materials• Disaster Recovery materials

Phase 2 RecoveryPhase 2 Recovery

Phase 2

Recovery EffortsRecovery Efforts

• Task Forces• Collaborations/partnerships• Presentations/workshops• Disaster Recovery Centers• 1-800 help line

• Task Forces• Collaborations/partnerships• Presentations/workshops• Disaster Recovery Centers• 1-800 help line

Web PortalWeb Portal

La HouseLa HouseRebuild Stronger, Safer, SmarterRebuild Stronger, Safer, Smarter

La HouseLa House

Project MAT Moving Ahead Together

Project MAT Moving Ahead Together

• USDA – CSREES – grant• Baton Rouge area• Targets

– 6 trailer communities

– Summer youth day camps • Collaboration• Our roles-

– Youth and adult life skills– Coordination of non-formal education at 6

sites

• USDA – CSREES – grant• Baton Rouge area• Targets

– 6 trailer communities

– Summer youth day camps • Collaboration• Our roles-

– Youth and adult life skills– Coordination of non-formal education at 6

sites

Collaborative 4-H Outreach EffortsCollaborative 4-H Outreach Efforts

• Community Agencies

• Media

• School Systems

• Service-Learning

• Community Agencies

• Media

• School Systems

• Service-Learning

Internal EffortsInternal Efforts

• How were the needs of faculty and staff addressed?

– Individual Counseling

– Group Therapy

– Service-Learning Efforts

• How were the needs of faculty and staff addressed?

– Individual Counseling

– Group Therapy

– Service-Learning Efforts

THANKSTHANKS

• Letters of Hope

• Care packages

• Quilts

• Monetary Donations

• Corporate Donations

• Letters of Hope

• Care packages

• Quilts

• Monetary Donations

• Corporate Donations

ResultsResults

• 55+ clubs donated 5000 boxes of hope

• Louisiana 4-H 700+ boxes of hope• 1116 letters from 27 states• $155,000 relief fund

– $92,000 AgCenter family– $42,000 4-H directed– $15,000 Grant Walker

• 55+ clubs donated 5000 boxes of hope

• Louisiana 4-H 700+ boxes of hope• 1116 letters from 27 states• $155,000 relief fund

– $92,000 AgCenter family– $42,000 4-H directed– $15,000 Grant Walker

The Need for VolunteersThe Need for Volunteers

• Recruitment

• Placement

• Maintenance

• Recruitment

• Placement

• Maintenance

Continuing NeedsContinuing Needs

• Preparation for upcoming hurricane season– Physical– Emotional

• On going service needs in stricken communities and parishes– In state support– Other support

• Preparation for upcoming hurricane season– Physical– Emotional

• On going service needs in stricken communities and parishes– In state support– Other support

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Aesop

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Aesop

Phase 3

Planning for the next hurricane season

Phase 3

Planning for the next hurricane season

Families & Disasters (FAD)Research

Families & Disasters (FAD)Research

Methodology Methodology

• Mixed-methods• 50 families from the affected areas of both

hurricanes• Research teams of twos • Field interviews, audio recorded• Purposive sampling• Inclusion criteria

– Moderate to severe property damage • Screen for mental health

• Mixed-methods• 50 families from the affected areas of both

hurricanes• Research teams of twos • Field interviews, audio recorded• Purposive sampling• Inclusion criteria

– Moderate to severe property damage • Screen for mental health

Rita: Recruitment Rita: Recruitment

• SE LA, suburban families• SW LA, rural and farm families• Introductory letters and phone

calls

• SE LA, suburban families• SW LA, rural and farm families• Introductory letters and phone

calls

– Since the hurricane, what about your family’s economic situation is more challenging? What about your family’s economic situation is less challenging?

– How has your extended family/kin affected your family’s recovery? Why is this important for your family?

– How has your community affected your family’s recovery? Why is this important for your family?

– How have you (as a family) dealt with problems?

– Since the hurricane, what about your family’s economic situation is more challenging? What about your family’s economic situation is less challenging?

– How has your extended family/kin affected your family’s recovery? Why is this important for your family?

– How has your community affected your family’s recovery? Why is this important for your family?

– How have you (as a family) dealt with problems?

Getting ReadyGetting Ready

New information material – a publication called Preparation for the Storm is being developed for mass distribution June 06

New information material – a publication called Preparation for the Storm is being developed for mass distribution June 06

Getting ReadyGetting Ready

• 100,000 Storm Recovery Guides • Rebuilding Our Lives

(for low literacy audiences) print ready

• New pub in the works – Family Recovery Guide

• Disaster Recovery Fact Sheet Series print ready

• 100,000 Storm Recovery Guides • Rebuilding Our Lives

(for low literacy audiences) print ready

• New pub in the works – Family Recovery Guide

• Disaster Recovery Fact Sheet Series print ready

Getting ReadyGetting Ready

• Collaborations– Child mental health counselors– Boys and Girls Clubs– Big Buddies– Red Cross– Family Recovery Corps

• Collaborations– Child mental health counselors– Boys and Girls Clubs– Big Buddies– Red Cross– Family Recovery Corps

Rebuilding and RenewalRebuilding and Renewal

• Opportunities are emerging for exciting partnerships– La House– KaBoom– MAT– Out of school time activities– School teachers

• Opportunities are emerging for exciting partnerships– La House– KaBoom– MAT– Out of school time activities– School teachers