Hurricane Relief
In addition to saving themselves and their immediate families they had the additional responsibility of saving and responding to the needs of the foster children in their care. Fortunately for the children and the states, they took this responsibility very seriously and evacuated with the children to contiguous states.Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with fury in August, 2005, destroying and damaging countless homes, including those of many foster and adoptive families. Within a week NFPA established a $10,000 fund to help those families. Through the generosity of individuals, organizations, the Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation and particularly Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation that fund grew to over a half million dollars.
NFPA staff launched a successful drive to collect clothing and needed supplies to ship to identified sites. One such site was Pride and Hope Ministries, a non-profit established by Myra Magee, then president of the Louisiana Foster/Adoptive Parent Association.
Very quickly
NFPA developed a comprehensive assessment tool and made arrangements to
meet with foster parent associations in the region and the state
departments of the most affected areas, including the Office of Community Services
(OCS) in Louisiana and the Department of Human Services in
Mississippi. Along with David Robinson and Dean Klein of the Freddie
Mac Foundation, Executive Director, Karen Jorgenson and Project
Manager, Dianne Kocer spent five days in the region. Pictures cannot
adequately describe the devastation all along the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was still under water.
Approximately 500 families
received assistance in some way. For some it was monetary assistance, for others it was connecting them with services. Many said it was wonderful just having periodic phone calls from NFPA, reminding them that someone really did care about what was happening in their lives.
Through coalitions with the above and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, AdoptUsKids, a very dedicated radio personality in Washington, foster parent associations from the affected states and adjoining states, donations from all over the country with especially generous ones from Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation, NFPA was able to help many and realize, again, the value of working together to achieve great things.
Through coalitions with the above and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, AdoptUsKids, a very dedicated radio personality in Washington, foster parent associations from the affected states and adjoining states, donations from all over the country with especially generous ones from Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation, NFPA was able to help many and realize, again, the value of working together to achieve great things.
Partnering with
OCS worked to the advantage of all. NFPA was able to mail out assessment forms, along with information from OCS, to all Louisiana foster parents in the affected parishes. All those who had to flee to other states were contacted and referred to the wonderfully helpful state foster/adoptive parent associations, and provided with a variety of financial assistance to enable them to get the basic things they needed, in some cases providing them with help to get back home. With almost daily communication with the LA Foster Parent Liaison, Nancy Miller, information was relayed between OCS and NFPA for such things as lost Medicaid cards, missing board checks, needs Nancy identified, etc.
