Broome County Katrina Response Database Online
BINGHAMTON, NY - Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala announces the Katrina Response Database can now be found at www.GoBroomeCounty.com. The database was an idea that originated in a meeting organized by the County Executive on Thursday, September 8th. That meeting included representatives from more than a dozen local human service agencies. The goal of the meeting was to make sure our area has a coordinated effort to help evacuees from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
"We wanted to make sure that if someone moved to our area because they lost their home in Louisiana or Mississippi that a system was in place to assist them with whatever they needed, including housing, financial assistance, food, clothing and counseling," said Executive Fiala. "We did not want anyone falling through the cracks and we did not want the agencies duplicating their efforts."
Hurricane Katrina victims that find themselves in Broome County are encouraged to go first to the Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross. Their immediate needs can be met by the Red Cross staff. Their next stop should be the Department of Social Services to determine their eligibility for assistance. If temporary or long term housing is needed, the evacuees are being referred to the Homeless Coalition which has offered to match up those in need of housing with the availability of housing locally. All of the contact information for these agencies and all the other agencies poised to help Katrina evacuees can be found in the database.
The database also includes information on local drives for supplies needed in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The County Executive encourages anyone planning such a drive to provide that information to the County Executive's office so that it may be included in the database.
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