Catholic Charities continues to address the needs of those affected by Hurricane Ida

After Hurricane Ida devastated much of the area that makes up the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, many people were temporarily unable to live in their homes because of the damage; and some were left homeless after their houses were completely destroyed.

To address the housing needs of the people in this area, the diocese quickly began working with the National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), and its sister company, the Disaster Services Corporation (DSC), to set up Parish Recovery Assistance Centers (P-RACs) in the diocese. At the P-RACs, case workers documented victims’ damages and assisted them in registering for federal and state programs.

According to Lee Bultman, disaster recovery case worker and coordinator of the Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux (CCH-T) Case Management program, approximately 3,100 applications were collected at the P-RACs, and subsequently loaded into a spreadsheet whereby the data could be more easily managed and analyzed. As a result of analyzing the data, the administration at CCH-T is making data driven decisions to determine where and how to use the limited resources that are available.
The goal is to assist as many people as possible, while being responsible stewards of our limited resources, Bultman says. “That’s where the recently implemented CCH-T Case Management program process comes into play. Utilizing a structured, comprehensive, assessment process, critical information is gathered and utilized to determine which cases we can most effectively address and which are more appropriately referred to other agencies.”

Currently, there are five case workers/managers on staff at CCH-T contacting the 1,371 applicants who indicated the need for mold remediation and/or “muck and gut” assistance – the process of removing storm damaged items from homes such as wet carpet, ruined furniture, etc., and then gutting the houses to the extent needed – removing saturated, infested sheetrock – to prepare the home so that contractors can begin repairs.

“Of course, there are two sides to case management work,” explains Bultman. “First there are the technicalities of the people who need a place to stay or they need to have their house gutted. And, the other side of the story is the psychological and emotional aspects of recovery. It’s the disruption to their lives, the trauma aspect, the faith aspect … the human side of the story. Their sense of security has been impacted. In some ways, we are helping to rebuild the person by helping them rebuild their house and give them back some level of comfort and security.”

At present, the disaster response efforts are largely focused on muck and gut activities, says Bultman, however, the other ministries of CCH-T – food, clothing, shelter and comfort – continue to function and assist those in need.
“I’m not sure that the Cajun people realize how distinct their culture is,” notes Bultman, who is a native of South Carolina. “The faith, sense of resiliency and the generosity of the people here, in my experience, is like no other place I’ve been. I haven’t heard anyone complain; and the ‘attention to neighbor’ is remarkable. People genuinely want to help each other. They all have this ‘I’m just hanging in there and trying to move forward’ kind of attitude.”

Emergency management has four phases: Mitigation, preparedness, response, and finally recovery, which is where the diocese currently is. The recovery phase occurs once the event that created the emergency has passed and the resulting threats to safety, security and well-being have been addressed and stabilized (response phase).
 
During the recovery period, restoration efforts occur concurrently with regular operations and activities. Examples of recovery activities include: Preventing or reducing stress-related illnesses and excessive financial burdens; rebuilding damaged structures, utilizing knowledge obtained from previous disasters, e.g., improved building techniques to mitigate damage from future storms. The recovery period from a disaster can be prolonged.

The next steps in the recovery phase are at least three-fold, explains Bultman.

●  Continue offering assistance to individuals and families based on the information collected at the P-RACs.
●  Assist individuals and families with navigating the FEMA application and appeals processes.
● Adjust CCH-T Case Management program processes and foci as the ever changing needs of those seeking help are identified.

“Hurricane Ida created nearly incalculable, seemingly insurmountable need, and we receive new requests for assistance daily. Resources are limited and CCH-T largely depends on donations from those who embrace Catholic social teaching and want to support those in need,” says Bultman. “With critically needed donations, CCH-T can provide for others. Those in need are not strangers from across the country or globe. They are our friends, our families, our neighbors! To donate for their benefit, well-being, and recovery, please go to https://catholiccharitiesht.org/disasterrelief.”

For more information on the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Hurricane Ida response and recovery efforts, to receive assistance, or give assistance, go to https://catholiccharitiesht.org/ida.