Compassion Coalition Katrina Relief Update

From Andy Rittenhouse

A strong partnership has emerged between Compassion Coalition, Catholic Charities, the Community Action Committee, the Community Service Agency and ProVision Foundation to facilitate the successful integration of evacuees into Knoxville.

Home visits continue, and over 230 evacuees have been visited in their homes by Compassion Coalition's assessment teams during the first three weeks of December.

A Master List of evacuees has been created and maintained, focusing on each evacuee's information as well as their case workers and volunteers assigned.

Multiple needs have been assessed and categorized as immediate or low priority situations. Referrals are made daily depending upon situations, and multiple organizations, churches and agencies are being utilized.

Evacuees with immediate furniture needs are being referred to the Love, INC furniture ministry, God's Garage. To date, there have been more than 50 furniture referrals made.

Evacuees with urgent medical needs are being referred to the Love INC Clearinghouse, where volunteers and staff work to meet those needs, or match the needs to the appropriate community agency. More than 50 medical referrals have been made.

Non-emergency needs such as household items and clothing are being referred to Angelic Ministries. Angelic Ministries provides clothing, small household items such as bedding and curtains and some food to evacuees and Knoxville residents as needed. To date, Angelic Ministries has been given the names of more than 140 evacuees who need assistance and Compassion Coalition staff and volunteers will follow-up with agencies and families to ensure that needs have been met.

Since home visits began, 107 Katrina evacuees and their families have been referred to churches or individuals that act as financial, spiritual and emotional support providers. Of these, twenty-five were Christmas referrals, ensuring that those who have lost so much were still able to enjoy the holidays.

Compassion Coalition is also working with twenty one local African American churches which have led the way in terms of evacuee sponsorship. These churches have sponsored over 40 individual evacuees and families.

Evacuees have begun to express that they are experiencing emotional distress; therefore we are currently working to build a team of professional counselors that will be available and will facilitate weekly and/or individual counseling sessions.

The Community Action Committee and the Compassion Coalition are co-sponsoring a celebration dinner for all Katrina Evacuees to be held at the Knoxville Expo Center on January 10, 2006 at 6:00 pm. This dinner will serve as a meet and greet time, as well as a time of welcoming to Knoxville. Area agencies and churches who are working with evacuees will also be invited to attend.

It is the goal of Compassion Coalition to have every family or individual matched with a church sponsor by January 31, 2006. We are currently recruiting additional area churches to assign to families which do not yet have sponsors.


Like our partners, Compassion Coalition is committed to staying engaged with Katrina evacuees for up to one year or until the evacuees become self sufficient within the community.

Sincerely – Andy Rittenhouse, executive director