Children's Disaster Services (CDS) Volunteers Help “Welcome Home” New Orleans Children

Karen Walter, Disaster Project Manager, comforts a child in the New Orleans, LA, CDS Center. (Photo Credit: Annette Martin)

Ruby Sheldon, care giver, helps children express their feelings by playing with play dough in the New Orleans, LA CDS Center. (Photo Credit: Annette Martin)

Care giver, Ruby Sheldon, gets down on the child's level while playing with cars on the village mat. (Photo Credit: Annette Martin)

On January 3, the “Louisiana Welcome Home Center” opened to serve the citizens of the metro New Orleans area in their personal road to recovery. This one-stop information center, which is part of the state’s “Road Home” program, houses agencies and organizations that provide resources to those returning to New Orleans from their temporary homes throughout the U.S. It is the largest housing recovery program in U.S. history.

Due to the onslaught of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, more than 1,836 persons lost their lives; 780,000 were displaced; and 123,000 homes and 82,000 rental units were destroyed. The combined devastation resulted in the deadliest and costliest ($81.2 billion) natural disaster in the U.S. history.

At the request of FEMA, CDS volunteers were on site from day one, ready to embrace the children of families coming into the information center to apply for assistance. As of January 16th, 75 child care contacts have been made by 8 CDS volunteers. It is anticipated that CDS will serve in New Orleans for a period of one year or as long as needed.

This longer running project will give many child care volunteers an opportunity to serve. It will also afford those who serve the “luxury” of planning ahead instead of leaving on short notice.

As this response progresses, we are sure many stories will emerge, especially from children who encountered a lengthy displacement and have returned home.