Caseworkers, Church Volunteers Bring New Hope to Hurricane Families in Transition in Austin, Texas

December 20, 2005 – Austin, Texas — Caseworker Chausey Leebron says she never knows what she might find behind the door, meeting Hurricane Katrina survivors at an apartment complex in far East Austin. There are about 40 evacuee families here – all of them in very challenging situations. NeighborWorks® member Foundation Communities is in the forefront of meeting evacuees immediate needs.

Caseworkers and Foundation Communities staff join together
to help Katrina evacuees.

“What keeps me going is the look of hope in these families’ eyes,” Leebron says. Leebron is one of eight social workers to join Foundation Communities since Hurricane Katrina. She began setting up a Resource Center at a complex in mid-October, and is working closely with families with critical needs.

Knocking on doors at one complex uncovered:

Children still not in school
Children needing afterschool activities
Substance abuse child abuse and sexual abuse
Depression
Babies without diapers, formula or cribs
People with serious medical conditions lacking medicine
People in need of work

Diane Rhodes, a social work supervisor, says it is challenging for social workers and volunteers to take on so many needs. It takes a professionally-trained social worker to keep track of the myriad governmental agencies and nonprofits that offer dentures, doctor appointments, food stamps, and counseling.

“The level and variety of needs we’re seeing means spending time with a family, building trust, and asking about everything from if they have food for the weekend to following up on reports of abuse,” Rhodes explains.

Church Volunteers Furnish Families With Support

Volunteers from St. James Episcopal Church in East Austin have been helping to fill needs of evacuees living at this apartment complex as they arise – they have donated and delivered furniture, created “welcome home” baskets of kitchen goods, and offered to take families on shopping trips or to doctors’ appointments. Karen Hartwell from St. James and a few others come by to talk with the caseworkers and get ideas for more ways to help. Their most recent project: Christmas gift baskets.

“The important thing is that we must stay involved, because these families are part of our community, says Hartwell.”