November 8, 2005 — Community Service Programs of West Alabama has served 196 families in six counties from its base in Tuscaloosa. It has provided housing, food, clothes, and furniture, and referrals to job opportunities, Head Start, and health care facilities.

In some instances, CSP also provided intensive case management and essential items to meet family needs.

CSP organized selected staff into a “Team Katrina” within days of the hurricane, to coordinate services and assistance as well as to aid in locating evacuees.  Team members regularly visited the shelters to assess any and all evacuees, in hopes of linking those individuals with needed CSP services.

In addition, CSP’s director of case management and outreach, Sontonia Stephens, met weekly with the city's Hurricane Katrina Task Force to inform agencies as well as individuals of services offered by CSP. CSP collaborated with Temporary Emergency Services, Tuscaloosa Public Housing Authority, local churches, and other community groups.

“We wanted to provide a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the evacuees,” said CSP Executive Director Cynthia Burton. “We did the routine information and referral, but also expanded our efforts to include provision of semi-permanent housing, utility assistance, furniture, clothing, Head Start enrollment, job referrals, and cash, as appropriate, to aid these families in getting ‘normalcy’ back into their lives as quickly as possible.” 

CSP's services have been vital to helping these families adapt. More than half of those assisted have relocated to Tuscaloosa and Hale Counties. Other families and individuals have relocated to Bibb, Fayette, Greene, and Lamar Counties.