RELIEF FOR KATRINA VICTIMS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

 

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, SEPTEMBER 2, 2005 – In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding, there are now are hundreds or thousands of people with special needs and their families with no homes, no jobs, and in need of urgent assistance. TheArcLink has created a central online clearinghouse so that family members, case managers, service coordinators or advocates can list people or families who need support.

 

In addition, people from anywhere in the country can use the site at www.thearclink.org to offer housing and supports, employment, and other assistance.

 

“There are many people who can offer their personal services to assist in the transition of people into new locations and services, or to contribute other volunteer time, either in person or via telephone,” said TheArcLink’s President Elbert Johns. “In some cases reimbursement may be available, and in those cases payment delays may or may not occur. We’d like to offer the site as a means to post announcements of a number of different types of support.”

 

Anyone who knows of hurricane victims in Alabama , Louisiana , or Mississippi with special needs and/or families who need immediate services and supports can list them on the site. The site will be particularly useful for case managers, service coordinators, state officials and other advocates, but the site is open for use by anyone.

 

Site visitors can submit the names of those in need of temporary or permanent jobs and can relocate or people in need of assistance can list themselves.

 

Employers with job opportunities can list them on the site, particularly jobs with disability services organizations or other human services agencies. The site is open to any employer in any field that has jobs to offer displaced hurricane victims. In addition to employment postings, the site can be used to offer short-term or long-term housing to those fleeing from areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Specific to people with disabilities, group home vacancies and related day services opportunities can be listed. Reimbursement by Medicaid or state funds may or may not be immediately available.

  

Those wishing to make a financial donation to people with intellectual disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina can visit The Arc of the United States ’ web site at www.thearc.org and click on the red Donate Now button.  The Arc will channel 100 percent of all funds donated to its chapters in the affected areas. There will be no overhead costs deducted and funds will be used to meet the most immediate needs of food, clothing, medicine, and shelter.

To visit the Katrina Special Needs Assistance Page, go to www.thearclink.org and click on “Katrina Special Needs Relief.”  This page is a free public service of TheArcLink Incorporated and The Arc of Louisiana.

 

TheArcLink Incorporated is the first web site to provide customized, specific information on the various sources of assistance available to individuals with disabilities and their families on a state-by-state basis as well as information on almost 30,000 providers.

 

The Arc of the United States is the nation’s largest volunteer-based organization devoted to issues concerning people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The Arc has 130,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters nationwide.