Katrina Aid Today Releases Final Program Book

Katrina Aid Today released the final program book which documents its work from October 2005 through March 2008.  The book includes descriptions of the program, partner profiles, summary statistics, maps, survivor stories, and photographs. It will be made available to the nine national partners in printed form, and will be posted to the Katrina Aid Today web site, www.katrinaaidtoday.org.

In October 2005, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), in cooperation with National Voluntary Organizations in Disaster (NVOAD), received a $66 Million grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide services to Katrina survivors around the country.  Katrina Aid Today operated 131 offices in 34 states, in cooperation with nine national partners and 17 grassroots agencies. In all, 73,064 households/192,888 persons were served by the program, with $137,706,596 leveraged for recovery.

Katrina Aid Today used proven best practices techniques in case management to assist individuals and families on their road to recovery. Case managers worked closely with survivors to help them write recovery plans, navigate the labyrinth of paperwork, advocate for resources to meet unmet needs, and offer emotional and spiritual support.  2,259 case managers were trained during the program.

 
“Katrina tested us and we responded,” explained Jim Cox, Executive Director. “In an unprecedented coalition, we applied what we knew about case management to help our clients in their recovery. In the process, we learned more and refined our approach. I am convinced that we built capacity to respond to future disasters.”

“While we cannot prevent hurricanes or other disasters, we can do our best to help our fellow citizens when disaster strikes,” added Sam Dixon, General Secretary, UMCOR.  “Katrina Aid Today staff made tremendous efforts to reach out and give concrete assistance to the survivors they met.”

While the Katrina Aid Today grant has ended, survivors have been folded into the social service networks of their communities as they continue their recovery.

National partners included Boat People SOS, Catholic Charities USA, Episcopal Relief and Development, Lutheran Disaster Response, National Disability Rights Network, Odyssey House of Louisiana, The Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent De Paul, and Volunteers of America.

Additional information about the consortium is available at www.katrinaaidtoday.org.  More information about UMCOR is at www.umcor.org.

Links
A message to our partners, Jim Cox, Executive Director
Katrina Aid Today Summary Statistics