"Evacuees Find No Help From Red Cross, FEMA
South Louisiana evacuees linger about the old Summer Grove Baptist Church, FEMA's Disaster Recovery Headquarters, tired of walking in circles. New Orleans native Charles Harris says, "you call one, they tell you to call the other, then the other tells you to call another, this is bull! We're taxpayers too".
Hundreds of evacuees went through the FEMA center, expecting the benefits, like vouchers, afforded to evacuees in other states including as close as Texas. Michelle Gordy of Metairie says, "Red Cross says come to FEMA, FEMA says Red Cross doesn't know what they're talking about, how are we supposed to get money for food, money to stay anywhere, money for gas?" Her brother, Charles Gordy says, "they said maybe two days. Maybe. Everyone in Mississippi and Texas is getting help and here we are, we live in Louisiana where we need it the most, and we're not getting it for two days".
FEMA opened this disaster recovery center on Tuesday, and the evacuees here are asking why? One FEMA worker says they don't have computers, fax machines, or copiers. They don't even have land lines to make the necessary calls for help". One FEMA worker bore the brunt of criticism, and described it as difficult, "very emotional, because you try to help people and they expect to get here and get whatever they're telling than they're gonna get it. It doesn't work like that". Sharon Adams of Jefferson Parish breaks into tears telling the FEMA worker, "I have a 17 year old son in his senior year in high school. It's over. I gotta find a place to put him in school. He's supposed to be the big man on campus this year. It's over".
The FEMA Disaster Recovery office hopes to be fully up and running within the next two days."
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