Fayette relief effort
posted Friday, Sept. 2, 2005
4pm

Report on Town Hall meeting Thursday night

There was a wonderful representation of churches and social service organizations at the meeting tonight! Some things that have been established:
DFCS will be the point of contact for those needing help and those available to give help until further plans can be made
Monetary donations can be made to DFCS and it will be put into a special fund for Relief
Gift cards are being given to families when they have applied for benefits to help tied them over the 3-4 day period till the benefits are loaded into an account for them
Families are able to enroll their children in school w/o the usual documentation, the school has school supplies and DFCS has book bags to give the children (more will be needed and citizens will be encouraged to donate the items to the school of their choice or to DFCS
The Health Department are seeing those in need and are waiving the usual fee-if the person is able to pay $10 that is acceptable
Dr. Vicki Shoo w/ Peachtree Immediate Care has worked out medical care and gotten samples from pharmaceutical companies to take care of those who are referred to her clinic.
The Health Department has Hepatitis A vaccine and Tetanus boosters ready to take care of all those who are going into the disaster areas for clean-up. Several churches and denomination associations are sending teams in the weeks to come.
Red Cross volunteer George Knight reported from Red Cross discouraging individuals from setting up shelters and instead helping to man and fund the larger ones that are being established.
There will be a Red Cross Shelter training at the Red Cross Metro Chapter on MonroeDr. this Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm for allwho would like to help out call- 404-870-4425 if you wish to attend. They will hold a training on the Southside if enough want the training. Let me or Pete Nelms w/ Fayette EMS know peten@fayette county.ga.gov if youwould attend a training on the Southside.
Brian Cardoza (Development Authority)and Virginia Gibbs (Chamber)will be putting a team together to assist in finding jobs for the refugees. another lady- I did not catch her name or agency gave her info for temp work that will waive the usual documentation and hire people for temp jobs.
There will be a blood drive September 16 9am- 2 pm at the Peachtree Immediate Care on hwy 54 please call if you can bring yourself or a group to donate as they need to make appointments-770-461-3776
Virginia Gibbs also said she would get the Blood Mobil to the Business Expo September 22 at New Hope North.
Jane Fanslow w/Fayette Counseling will gather a coalition of treatment providers to be available to help with grief counseling and gaining coping skills for the refugees when the reality of their situation has set in and they need help. This will be pro bono on their part.
Please do not bring clothes to DFCS for the families but you can make donations to the organizations who are set up to handle intake, sorting and dispersing and that would be Fayette Samaritans, Real Life Center (formerly Braelinn Community Services). Clothes Less Travel and Wellspring Store both in PTC will help the refugee families as well.
I will keep you updated as more plans are formulated and volunteers are needed or specific donations are needed.
God bless!
Becky Smith
Executive Director
FACTOR