Disaster Assistance Center

In August and September 2005, hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit our southern coast, creating an enormous waves of evacuees. While FEMA asked Lexington to prepare for evacuees by airlift, on their own people made their way north toward Lexington, where human service agencies suddenly found themselves inundated with families trying to find basic needs and resettle their lives.

 
With Lexington’s Emergency Operation Center overwhelmed and evacuated families wandering around trying to find support, LexLinc worked with the EOC and Centenary United Methodist Church to establish a Disaster Assistance Center, a one-stop center where people could find physical and mental relief and evaluation; federal, state and local government assistance; and local support systems for housing, jobs, food, clothing, public education and other necessities. Once the EOC approved the existence of the Disaster Assistance Center at Centenary, LexLinc worked with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Health Department, the Red Cross and many others to open the center in less than 24 hours. The Black Church Coalition, and particularly Shiloh Baptist Church, responded by giving everyone that came into the center a buddy, a personal friend to walk with them through the assistance center to make sure they did not go through the process alone, that all their questions were answered and their needs met.

 
The Disaster Assistance Center served over 460 evacuees and their families during the hurricane crisis.