FEMA Begins Debit Card Distribution to SA Evacuees
LAST UPDATE: 9/9/2005 4:08:46 PM
Posted By: Jim Forsyth
This story is available on your cell phone at mobile.woai.com.
Security was extraordinarily tight this afternoon at the huge Building 1536 shelter at Kelly USA as Federal Emergency Management Agency officials began handing out debit cards to evacuees worth up to $2,000.
Evacuees first had to have the white wristband which every evacuee who has signed into one of the shelters must wear at all times. Then they had to stand in a winding line in which they were asked about their iden y, their dependents, and other information. They were then bussed to a different building where the cards were distributed, under tight security.
The cards can be used as cash at any business and can be used to buy anything except alcohol and tobacco products.
Ayanna Day of New Orleans, who is in the Kelly shelter with her two young children, said the card gives her a sense of independence.
"Its just the idea of being able to do something for yourself," she told 1200 WOAI news.
"When you're used to being independent, we were feeling handicapped."
Day said she planned to buy a small television set for her six year old son to watch while in the shelter, some personal items, and, amazingly for a woman who has lost her home and all of her belongings, and is living in a shelter 500 miles from her home, she said she plans to 'save most of it for hard times.'
FEMA officials, who have been criticized roundly for their response to the disaster, declined to comment on the debit card distribution.
Only people living in shelters are eligible for the debit cards, and that is blamed for a sudden e in the shelter population. Where the population of evacuees in the four San Antonio shelters had fallen to fellow 5,000 Wednesday night, it jumped to more than 6,000 this morning after news of the debit card policy was released.
My wife's friend has her husband's family staying with them and they have nothing. 2 adults and 2 children.
Why in the heck can't they get FEMA assistance?
This bull is getting worse by the minute.
And now people are saying the mayor is trying to kick them out of their houses so the police can loot.
ing anarchy....
If this would've happened to San Antonio would there be looting, shooting, gangs trying to take over , total chaos????????
I am ing lost now.
First off, what Mayor is kicking people out of their houses?
Second, I believe FEMA has said they will get money to people who are not living in shelters as soon as they do give money to people who are in shelters.
But now FEMA has stopped/caneled giving out the card all together.
So I have no ide what the FEMA is doing or going to do.
FEMA has stopped with the debit cards as of TONIGHT. Not sure if this is only in Houston, or if it's all around. The last two days have been chaotic here because of those cards. They are going to mail checks or do direct bank deposits now. Not sure how they're gonna organize THAT now. we can barely distribute the damn cards. I guess I'm out of the job now :confused
There are people in New Orleans that have electricity, that aren't flooded, that are basically unhurt and unharmed and they are being asked to gtfo.
They are wondering why do they have to leave their houses when there ain't wrong with them.
FEMA, the US Government, the Lousiana Leadership is so ed up it ain't even funny.
I am starting to think that Bush needs to step the up about right now and start firing some people.
I heard on the News that FEMA stopped ALL debit cards.
What's ed up is my wife's company is trying to get donations for this family so they can make it and because they aren't sleeping on a cot, they aren't eligible?
That's bull .
I think it's wrong that they are gonna start to FORCE people out. According to the police they will be "gentle and sensitive". Uhh.. how gentle and sensitive can you be when you are FORCING people out?!? It aint gonna happen. People have the right to do whatever they want. if they want to stay, why can't they stay? even if they ARE in danger, it's their life. If they want to run the risk of dying, that's up to them. Nobody should be forcing them to leave just cause of their "safety." B.S.
If Iraq need 50 billion or more, a blank check is written ing weekly.
Let's get these people some ing cash so they can have a life.
What the is wrong with that?
Give them some ing assistance, it, buy them a car, a house, an apartment, who gives a , get them on their feet.
Iraq. Afghanistan. South Korea.
The US Government needs to help these people and quit putting the burden on the societies of America.
We are already paying out the ass in gas, taxes and everything else.
WTF?
But we have to be there cause the Weapons of Mass Destruction paid the hurricane to hit us. So leaving would let the hurricane win.
They are still going to give out the money just they will use electronic funds transfer.
Yea it kinda sucks.. but at least they can still get the money.. just going to take longer to fill out the request form and open a bank account for each person.
open a bank account for each person? LLLLL NO. it's hard enough issuing cards that have nothing to do with a bank. can you imagine opening bank accounts?! banks ask for your first born child as identification. if they dont already have existing bank accounts for direct deposits.. they get checks mailed.
This is just another example of a FEMA mismanaged situation. I don't know what to say other than they need to get their collective head out of their collective ass. The situation Kevin describes is ed. They need help too.
Oh, but no one is going to be made leave NO. That was what I heard this evening.
This is why from the get go.. You need to get in that food line and fill out the red cross paperwork.
The red cross check in and armband is the key to the bank vault basically...
The other thing is a deed for property or car insurance..
Have your wife's friend's survivors just go to
one of the smaller shelters like one of the churches.. then fill out red cross paperwork there.. THEN make a phone call and act all suprised when friends come to pick them up..
BINGO .. that puts them in teh matrix (the database)
Hey Kevin, you might find this usefull.
Hurricane evacuees staying outside a designated shelter can apply for supplemental assistance today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Freeman Coliseum at 3201 E. Houston St.
Special Section
Hurricane Katrina: News, video, multimedia, tools for victims and volunteers
Applicants should use Gate A and bring ID such as a driver's license, Social Security or Medicaid cards.
The assistance is part of a new program developed by the American Red Cross. On-site caseworkers will determine family eligibility and the amount of aid.
Services for evacuees at one of the four shelters — either building at Kelly USA, Windsor Park Mall, and Levi Strauss — will be available soon. Dates and times have yet to be announced.
...
yeah, no reason this should be such of a cluster ... i think they wanted to try to see what people bought and maybe regulate, but now they are like, who gives a , just give them money to do whatever. we don't care if some just buy drugs with it.
Make them work for the money. There are always things needed to be done for municipalities and public works. Instead of just giving money, allow them to earn it. It was sad that yesterday the job fair was practically ignored because they could get free money.
These people are in need. Give them the help they need.
why work when you can get handouts? many were already doing that in new orleans anyway...
Well then why bother giving food and other items to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross?
Why bother volunteering at a shelter or food bank?
Some of us believe in helping our fellow man.
yes, food, shelter and necessities.. it is not necessary to give them blank checks or money like that to buy whatever they want.
and some of you *cough*Manny*cough* accuse me of having ridiculous expectations.
I think it is fantastic that thousands of people have $2000 debit cards so quickly. You really expect the govt to distribute hundreds of thousands of cards at the same time? There are all sorts of other programs in place right now that are helping these people. Here's one:
LAFAYETTE, La. - In a massive, costly and little-noticed effort to calm a housing catastrophe that reaches from Florida to Texas, the Red Cross has quietly created a program that it says is now picking up hotel bills for at least 57,000 people who fled Hurricane Katrina. Room charges are being paid out of the $503 million that the Red Cross has collected so far for hurricane relief.
The program began early this week, when several thousand hotels and motels in and around the Gulf Coast area were notified by the Red Cross that registered guests who can show that they lived in 256 storm-affected Zip codes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama would be eligible to have their unpaid room charges covered by the Red Cross.
The program does not require guests to prove financial need, although it does ask hotel managers to "please be judicious as you participate with us in this program."
The rest of the story is on MSNBC
Jelly, what I expect is the government not to up what it starts. You know what the worst thing yoU can do to thse people is? Tell them you are going to do something, then not do it.
Just one more disappointment in a long line of dissapointments.
But if you come to expect disapointments, than will a disapointment, disapoint?
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