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Sharing
information to protect and support children and youth in the aftermath of
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
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The Children’s Defense Fund – Texas and Children’s Defense Fund – Southern Regional Office are
committed to raising awareness about the challenges facing children, connecting
children and families to resources that help to meet their needs, and working
with partners to coordinate broad support to improve the well-being of
children. The Children’s Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit child advocacy
organization that works relentlessly to ensure a level playing field for all
children.
This
newsletter is published to help families and communities in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands recovering from hurricanes to protect and
support children and youth. Please, share this information widely and let us know of
additional resources.
Thank
you for remembering the most vulnerable among us as recovery goes forward.
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© Photo - Fox News
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RESOURCES AND ARTICLES OF INTERST FOR COMMUNITIES:
The Disaster Assistance Improvement Program
(DAIP) provides disaster survivors with information, support, services, and a
means to access and apply for disaster assistance through joint
data-sharing efforts between federal, tribal, state, local, and private sector
partners.
Teachers and schools can help when bad stuff happens. This
NPR article contains information for educators to support students experiencing
stress and trauma.
Read and share Disaster Recovery Updates from the National Law Income Housing Coalition
Find
information about efforts to restore affordable housing after natural and
man-made disasters.
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© Photo - Pu Ying Huang, The Texas Tribune
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Federal
Policy Update:
House
and Senate appropriators are working on the next disaster supplemental spending
bill. In the past week, the Texas congressional delegation requested an additional
$18.7B, the Puerto Rico congressional delegation requested an additional $4.6B,
and the Florida delegation has requested an additional $26.9B in disaster recovery
funding. The White House also sent Congress an additional disaster spending
request: $5B to assist Puerto Rico with disaster recovery. The House may take
up a supplemental spending bill this week, but it’s unclear how many of these
requests they’ll include in their bill.
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Hurricane Harvey Resources
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© Photo - Time Magazine
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The
Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, set up by Houston's Mayor Turner and Harris
County Judge Emmett, will be hosting two webinars today (October 12) about the
fund and the upcoming “Round 2 Grant Information for
Nonprofits” process. The distributions and grants will be made in support
of relief efforts to aid the victims (regardless of immigration status) of the
flooding and other weather caused by Hurricane Harvey, including shelter and
temporary housing needs, food and supplies, healthcare, transportation, child
care, facility needs of child care and social service agencies.
Many Texas residents affected by
hurricane Harvey are facing a growing housing crisis. Displaced are running out
of hotel vouchers and are looking to find a place to live. Episcopal Health
Foundation captures the extent of hurricane Harvey property damage
on their hurricane Harvey resource webpage. Harvey Temporary Housing website
connects those with available housing with those in need.
The Texas Education Agency on
Wednesday announced a task force — in conjunction with the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
— that will connect Harvey-affected schools, universities and their communities
with counselors, training, and funding opportunities as they continue to deal
with the after-effects of the destructive storm.
Additional resources:
- Child Care Aware compiled a list
of resources to assist the child care providers and families impacted by
Hurricane Harvey.
- Free help line: Optum is offering a free
emotional-support help line to impacted individuals. The toll-free number, 866-342-6892,
will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as necessary. The
service is free of charge and open to anyone. Along with the toll-free help
line, emotional-support resources and information are available online at www.liveandworkwell.com.
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© Photo - Eric Gay, AP
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More
places to donate:
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Hurricane Irma Resources
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© Photo - UNICEF
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The Florida Division of Emergency Assistance website offers up-to-date information about the recovery
process and resources.
Miami
Dade County
Visit
recovery
website to
find the latest information (FEMA assistance, transit, tolls, animal services…)
about recovery and cleanup efforts in the Miami-Dade County.
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© Photo - Tatiana Fernandez, AP
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More
places to donate:
- Donate to the Hurricane
Irma Community Recovery Fund.
- Give through Global
Giving
to help those affected in the Caribbean. After ensuring emergency response is
covered, this fund will shift to longer term reconstruction.
- Support
women living in temporary shelters by donating to Support
the Girls.
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Hurricane Maria Resources
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© Photo - CNN
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Hurricane
Maria has
devastated Puerto Rico and its residents of whom more than 700,000
are children. Eighty-four
percent of the island is still without power, and local officials are
preparing for six months or more without electricity. Hospitals
running on generators are low on power, and conditions on the ground are ripe for
the spread of disease.
Recovery
is slow and no one knows how long it will take.
And,
the recovery is still in its infancy on the U.S. Virgin Islands where most of
its 100,000 residents still do not have drinkable water and electricity. Learn
more about slow recovery efforts in
this Guardian article.
FEMA
The
main page for up-to-date
resources and information on the federal response to Hurricane Maria.
HOW TO
HELP PUERTO RICO AND THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS:
Colorlines article lists organizations supporting recovery in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.
The
Hispanic Federation is designating 100 percent of its Hurricane Relief Fund to
recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. To donate via text, compose a new text
message for number 41444. Type UNIDOS (space) YOUR AMOUNT (space) and YOUR
NAME. (For example: Unidos 100 John Doe) Then press "send" and click
on the link to complete your donation. To donate in person, visit any Popular
Community Bank branch (account name: Hurricane Relief Effort; checking account
number: 6810893500).
Supporting UNICEF’s Hurricane Relief Efforts in Puerto Rico:
https://www.unicefusa.org/donate/support-unicef-usas-hurricane-relief-efforts-puerto-rico/32952
Other
ways to help:
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© Photo - Andres Kudacki, Time Magazine
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