About 110 families who are victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have found their way to Snohomish County and registered with the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross. More are expected.
Michael V. Martina / The Herald
Statewide, an estimated 2,000 evacuees are spread across 21 counties.
The Interfaith Association of Snohomish County is leading an effort by the county and social service agencies to coordinate local help for people who have come here to escape the devastation of the hurricanes, Interfaith director Janet Pope said.
“There may be several more that are here but have not registered with the Red Cross because they have family or whatever,” she said.
“We expect more because there will be people who have stayed down there and thought they could rebuild and will give up. … We’re finding that Washington state does draw people because it has the reputation of having a lot to give.”
| For information on how to help or find help, contact:
American Red Cross: 425-252-4103 The Interfaith Association: 425-252-6672 |
Evacuees who haven’t registered with the Red Cross should because the agency can connect them with other resources, Pope said. That help includes disaster unemployment checks and Department of Social and Health Services assistance for those who weren’t working.
The Red Cross is providing stays of about 30 days in motels, and the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development will provide apartments and furniture to some families, she said.
The county’s churches are seeking people, congregations, businesses or organizations willing to meet one or more needs of a single family.
“We want to use an adopt-a-family model,” Pope said. “We need a list of anybody who is willing to help. Money is always faster and easier, but if you can procure the items themselves, that’s OK as well.”
The Interfaith Association is maintaining a database to match volunteers with people and their needs.
At a “Celebration of Healing, Help and Hope” Saturday in Everett, Tim Serban, director of spiritual care at Providence Everett Medical Center, discussed his experiences as part of a disaster response team on the Gulf Coast.
“He’s kind of key to what we want to set up here in Snohomish County,” Pope said. “A spiritual care team in response to disasters.”
Jason Warewick recently moved with his wife and two children from Mukilteo to New Orleans, purchased a home and started a business. He lost it all to Katrina.
Mukilteo Presbyterian Church found Warewick’s family a place to stay, and other groups also are helping, Pope said.
“They hope to stay here. He’s really struggling to find a job,” she said.
Warewick told the gathering about how the government didn’t help those affected by the disaster, but how he saw people helping each other.
United Way is coordinating communication, and Community Transit is providing free bus passes, Pope said.
“When there’s a disaster of this scope, government can’t do it all. But the reality that private social service agencies have is that the need is great all the time in Snohomish County,” she said.
“In the early days after Katrina, everybody felt the need to help, and we had this huge list. ‘I can help with jobs’ or ‘I can help with clothing.’ Now we’re all pretty excited that we can move forward with this as a kind of clearinghouse to help everybody,” she said.
Pope added: “If there’s any silver lining in the Gulf Coast disaster, it’s that Snohomish County residents are responding to a disaster thousands of miles away, but it is giving us training to respond to a disaster that could happen here in the future.”
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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