Dozen families show up at fire-assistance ‘one-stop shop’
It was a trial run Sunday at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.
The American Red Cross opened a multi-agency resource center in response to last week’s wildfires. The center, with nearly a dozen agencies represented, was open from 1 to 6 p.m., and more than a dozen families showed up to register for assistance.
Trained caseworkers helped people create a one-stop shop for personal recovery plans, navigate paperwork and locate assistance for their specific needs such as housing information, groceries, clothing, medicine, household items to clean up and even apply for financial assistance.
“Any families affected by the wildfires are invited to talk to all the agencies at one time to prevent them from having to go from agency to agency,” said Dicie Nicklaus, disaster program manger for the American Red Cross in south-central and southeast Kansas.
The same center and resources will open again on Tuesday in Ashland.
More than 12,000 families were evacuated last week from eight counties in Kansas as wildfires ravaged the state. Counties affected included Clark, Comanche, Ford, Hodgeman, Ness, Reno, Russell and Rooks.
Some people visited the multi-agency center on Sunday, Nicklaus said, but didn’t register.
“They didn’t want to register or want assistance,” she said. “That was OK. But they got information.”
From rakes and shovels to apples and snacks, the volunteers Sunday tried to provide help to people.
Pamphlets were available offering tips for those who might be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, detailing common reactions and discussing how the wildfires could affect family relationships.
One booth offered help with smoke alarms.
Another offered tetanus shots.
The Salvation Army and Knights of Columbus offered gift cards for the families.
The Kansas Department of Revenue offered to search for documents and check on the status of tax refunds.
“Our goal is to capture information from people who are needing some recovery assistance,” said Lisa Gleason, chairwoman of the Reno County Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster. “Our goal is to help with disaster recovery and fill in the gaps where perhaps insurance covered some things but not everything. Maybe people need help in clearing debris away. We want to provide resources to the disaster recovery victims.”
Tara Ghere was volunteering on Sunday, but hers was also one of the families who had been evacuated.
“I work with the health department in emergency preparedness,” Ghere said. “But I am also on the Kansas Incident Management Team. I was activated at 7 a.m. on Monday morning to work in the incident command with public information. I was pushing the alerts out and realized that where I live was being evacuated.
“I called my family and told them to get your stuff and get out and go to my brother’s place. We were fortunate. We had animals by themselves for a few days, but we were not affected by the fire.”
Nicklaus said the evacuation areas were large and many families were affected. The Red Cross estimates more than 60 homes across the state were damaged by the fires.
“For a lot of the families, all they have left is what they left their homes with, and that may literally be the clothes on their backs,” Ghere said. “These organizations have come together to help people start over – whether they need clothes, help with debris removal or had damages to the outbuildings and homes.
“The beauty of living in a place like Hutchinson is that we are like family. We take care of each other.”
Beccy Tanner: 316-268-6336, @beccytanner
More information
▪ Fire victims who couldn’t make it to the center on Sunday are encouraged to call United Way’s 2-1-1 or the American Red Cross at 844-334-7569 – the 24-hour number for the state of Kansas –so help and resources can be available. The Multi-Agency Resource Center will also be open in Ashland on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ashland High School Gymnasium, 311 NE Humphreys.
▪ Farmers and ranchers affected by the wildfires can apply for disaster assistance programs. The Farm Service Agency can assist those who lost livestock, grazing land, fences, eligible trees, bushes and vines as a result of a natural disaster. The FSA Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance to rehabilitate farmland damaged by disasters. And compensation is available to producers who have coverage through the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, which protects non-insurable crops – including native grass for grazing – against disasters. For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center.
▪ The K-State Research and Extension Department issued a release on Friday saying it was important for those who had gone through a wildfire loss to document and compile a list of lost possessions and not rely on memory. And to keep a notebook with a supply of pens handy. “Record or write down the specifics as soon as you can, such as: What happened? When did it start? When did it end? Who was there? What kind of damage was sustained? What will be the cost of repairs and replacement?”
This story was originally published March 12, 2017 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Dozen families show up at fire-assistance ‘one-stop shop’."