By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Area service providers have formed a coalition to provide a single point of access to hurricane evacuees who are arriving here.
The federal government has decided not to send displaced residents from the Gulf Coast Region to New York State. But many evacuees are arriving here on their own.
Starting this Monday, a number of local service providers ranging from the American Red Cross to the Salvation Army will work together. County Social Services Commissioner Michael Weiner says they want to make sure their needs are met.
"We had an unusual request from a college-age student, somebody from Tulane University, who is now enrolling at the University at Buffalo," Weiner said. "That particular student has some emergency service needs, including book costs, that we're working with the larger community to respond."
The Buffalo School District is part of the new coalition. Jackie Ross Brown, the district's point person in the effort, said children from the Gulf Coast region will be enrolled in schools that have in-house health and counseling services.
"We've already taken in six children who have come here as a result of Hurricane Katrina," Ross Brown said. "We've provided them with immediate services. We're here to do as much as we possibly can."
County Executive Joel Giambra says he's not sure why the decision was made to stop plans for relocating as many as five thousand evacuees to New York State. But he said the county stands ready to accept them should that change in the days or weeks to come.