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Tornadosurvivors.org Message

Visit tornadosurvivors.org for more info and to watch/listen to video testimonials from Springfield residents who lost their homes in the June 1 tornado.  These evacuees need our support.

The Red Cross intends to cut off motel vouchers for tornado survivors in Springfield on Wednesday, July 6.  They said they’ll only offer extensions on a case-by-case basis.

Update below**

 

Many tornado survivors haven’t received FEMA checks, the Red Cross has closed the emergency shelter, and there is a serious rental housing shortage in Springfield.  Red Cross needs to make sure that evacuees who lost their homes– including elderly women and families with young children– don’t end up on the street!

Please contact Red Cross to urge them to immediately offer extended hotel vouchers for all evacuees who  haven’t been able to find long-term housing.  The acting director of our local Red Cross chapter can be reached at 737-4306 x1905.  If you have contributed to Red Cross, please let her know.  And call today…

Thank you!  Again, I encourage you to watch/listen to video testimonials of Springfield tornado survivors who talk about surviving the tornado and the Mass Mutual Center shelter, as well as an interview with a Red Cross manager at tornadosurvivors.org.  And help us to spread the word.

–Lara

**Update**

As another thunderstorm rolled through our city Friday, my thoughts were with everyone who lost their home in the tornado 6 weeks ago. Sadly, it will take time before many of the tornado survivors will be able to weather a storm without anxiety.

For them and for myself, I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who called Red Cross early last week!

Thanks to your calls, the hard work of our city’s public servants and HAP Housing, tornado survivors’ self-advocacy, and the eventual cooperation of the American Red Cross, many of Springfield’s tornado evacuees who are still homeless (up to 10 families and 3 individuals) are now safely in hotels paid for by Red Cross until next Thursday, July 14. No evacuees that we’ve heard of were left without hotel rooms, and we have been told that everyone in this group has a housing placement after next Thursday.

But not without some struggle.

When evacuees were informed by the Econolodge manager on Wednesday at 11 a.m. that they couldn’t stay for another week– even those that were able to pay—because the hotel was booked, a Red Cross volunteer’s unfortunate reaction was to blame the evacuees for the predicament. The surrounding hotels were all booked as well. “What have you been doing all week?” “Why is this Red Cross’ problem?” “You need to take charge of your own recovery!” and “You aren’t victims, you’re survivors!” she said to the frustrated and overheated crowd of evacuee families, including seniors and small children. We may post segments of that video at some point, because we believe it reveals some of what’s wrong with the Red Cross’ approach to disaster response. Evacuees didn’t accept this blaming attitude, and insisted on a guarantee that Red Cross wouldn’t leave them without hotel rooms.

Also, following the morning’s incident, Brenda Brouillette of American Red Cross assured us that she is committed to a process of evaluating ARC’s disaster response, including the shelter conditions. She agreed that tornado survivors will have an important role in improving the ARC’s response to future disasters. A group of Springfield evacuees and allies met last night to begin collecting feedback to give ARC and brainstorming ways to participate in Springfield’s ongoing recovery.  Let me know if you’d like to get involved.

Thank you again for your support.

Lara Shepard-Blue
tornadosurvivors.org
Tornado Survivors Project

 

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