OneRouge Community Check-In - Week 115

Week #115

This conversation is a special topic on “Blues Skies Disaster Response Session” with a goal for OneRouge coalition members to engage and register their organizations with local foundations and disaster response agencies to streamline the flow of resources to the community if/when natural disasters and future pandemics impact our City-Parish.

Enlight, Unite, & Ignite!

Quick Links: Notes, Community Announcements

---

Speaker Notes

Lois Smyth | Director of Donor Services, Baton Rouge Area Foundation

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation unites human and financial resources to enhance the quality of life in Southern Louisiana. Created in 1964, the Foundation has one simple goal: to help philanthropists pursue their causes for bettering the lives of the people of South Louisiana. we do three things:

1. Serve more than 600 fund donors, who make grants to nonprofits through their charitable accounts at the Foundation

2. Undertake projects for civic good, such as downtown revitalization, inner-city revival, urban planning and education reform.

3. Support local nonprofits with strategic consulting to endure overall impact and sustainability.

Current initiatives include implementing the lakes master plan, improving mobility across the region, advocating for intercity rail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We are supporting the Bridge Center for Hope as it launches a crisis stabilization center for people with behavioral health challenges. The Foundation also is providing a path to better and more services for people on the autism spectrum.

Clay Rives | Director, Mayor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (MOSEP)

The East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (MOHSEP) provides the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish with a comprehensive, integrated and coordinated public safety program to ensure natural and man-made risks are reduced, emergency services delivered and consequences of events managed to provide a safe, livable and sustainable community.

MOHSEP is responsible for developing programs, emergency operation capabilities, and inter-jurisdictional agreements to prevent disasters, if possible; reducing the vulnerability of parish residents to any disaster that cannot be prevented; establishing capabilities for protecting citizens from the effects of disasters; responding effectively to the actual occurrence of disasters; and providing for recovery in the aftermath of any emergency involving extensive damage or other debilitating influence on the normal pattern of life within the community.

Utilizing the five phases of Emergency Management - Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery, so as to save or protect life and property during survivable crises, the MOHSEP joins with Local, State, and Federal agencies to ensure that a national emergency management awareness effort to enhance our whole community resiliency, aid our mitigation and outreach efforts throughout East Baton Rouge Parish and protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens.

John Hutson | 211 Community Impact Manager, Capital Area United Way

When people are in the middle of a crisis, they often aren't sure where to turn, and many call 211. In 2021, local 211 specialists:

• Provided support for more than 949,494 callers experiencing suicidal ideation or another mental health crisis, or worried about someone else who was.

• Helped more than 111,000 people get assistance related to sexual assault, domestic violence, or human trafficking.

• Made more than 300,000 connections to disaster services like shelters, emergency food, evacuation assistance, and clean-up resources.

Call: 2-1-1 or 225-923-2114

Text: Your zipcode to 898-211, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. *Standard message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to opt out.

Could you speak to what BRAF, UW, and the City are doing to mitigate and reduce risk and losses in low income communities-- which as we know are most impacted by disasters?

Lois Smyth BRAF provides support to non-profits that are "on the ground". Funding opportunities for direct services are available. State programs like Medicaid expand our reach. And to ensure continuity, a disaster plan and keeping organizational information updated are imperative.

Clay Rives MOSEP works across sectors to protect the lives and property of EBR residents. What is beyond the Mayor's capacity is mitigated by the Governor's Office (GOSEP). Being plugged into this information, for instance through the Red Stick Ready app, makes a difference in time of disaster. Also we are hoping to have help from local housing leaders.

How is disaster information (shelters, evacuation, resources, etc.) distributed beyond text?

Clay Rives - We partner with radio and television providers to ensure everyone, including the elderly and people who don't use AI in ways that would make texts useful, are notified.

Are there door hangers or magnets for 211 for outreach distribution?

John Hutson - We have packets that include all the information about 211 available for distribution.

What about 225Gives?

John Hutson - I don't know all I shoudl about the program, but I can put you in touch with more well versed people. Generally speaking, 225Gives:

• Helps people find, learn about, and contribute to the local causes they believe in.

• Enables nonprofits to share their stories and engage the community through a unique online giving platform.

• Raises awareness about regional nonprofits and the critical role they play in our communities and state.

• Inspires people to give generously to nonprofits making our state stronger, creating a thriving community for all.

• Your gift improves and strengthens our 10 parish Capital Region, and ultimately Louisiana, through the power of collective giving!

If it takes a year to start truly housing folk after a disaster, what do the impacted folk do until then?

Clay Rives - Remember that's for FEMA intervention. The city has stepped up to provide resources while FEMA works on getting impacted families permanently housed. We are also hoping that there will be

How can we create the museum as a safe space in case of emergency?

Clay Rives - We would be very glad to have more shelter locations. Just please be aware that a lot goes into deciding to be a shelter. The most important component is whether the bathrooms can support the volume of people for the amount of time that is needed.

In addition to hurricanes and flooding what other disasters does Baton Rouge routinely plan for?

Lois Smyth - Our role is disaster response. We offer rescue, relief, then recovery. But along the process, it is imperative that non-profits keep their information current - especially through a disaster. Additionally, if you register your non-proift with BRAF can be set up with a grants advisor. After a storm, BRAF can coordinate the response with your non-profit to issue grants much more quickly.

Community Announcements

Louisiana Center for Children's Rights is hiring a social worker for a supervisory position in their BR office. For more information see: https://lakidsrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Social-Work-Supervisor-Job-Posting-1.pdf or email me at kmosby@vera.org

MOHSEP has recently launched a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and has received an overwhelming number of volunteers. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. The next CERT trainings will be held on Saturdays September 10th and 24th

Southern University Law Center’s Vulnerable Communities & Peoples Initiative, in partnership with Louisiana Progress, The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, The ACLU of Louisiana, The Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, Louisiana Center for Health Equity, and The Budget Project, is EXCITED to continue our DYNAMIC Annual Legislative WrapUp WEBINAR Series on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

The Registration Link is as follows:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nfN4GiwEQhGMBaR8RAfPlQ

Please join us on Thursday, July 28, 2022 for PART II, moderated by Alfreda Tillman Bester, MBA, JD, Special Counsel for Human Services.

• July 28, 2022, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. -- Part II: Voting Rights, Redistricting & Representative Government (Federal, State & Local)

Senator Cleo Fields, Esq., District 14 (INVITED); Rep. Royce Duplessis, Esq, District 93 (INVITED); Michael McClanahan, JD, President, LA NAACP; Ashley Shelton, President/CEO,Power Coalition for Equity & Justice; Alanah Odoms Hebert, Esq., Executive Director, ACLU of Louisiana

You may also REGISTER NOW for Parts III and IV at the links following each below.

• August 11, 2022-12:00 – 1:30 p.m. -- Part III:Economic Development/Stability, Quality Affordable Ethical Healthcare, Housing Stability & The Continuing Impact of COVID

Rep. Randal Gaines, Esq., District 57; Rep. Mandie Landry, District 91; Darryl Gissel, Office of Mayor Sharon Weston Broome (INVITED); Laura Tuggle, Esq., Exec. Director, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; Alma Stewart, President, Louisiana Center for Health Equity

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__3A6sVOsT229nyR4YgJBTQ

• August 25, 2022- 12:00 – 2:00– Part IV:Where Do We Go From Here- Post Pandemic Health Emergency (Infrastructure, Voting Rights, Education, Healthcare, Housing Insecurity)

Rep. Edmond Jordan, Esq., District 29 (INVITED); Senator Regina Ashford Barrow, District 15 (INVITED); Dr. Melissa Flournoy, Board Chair, Louisiana Progress; Tara LeBlanc, Medicaid Director, LDH; Danny Mintz, Ph.D., Dir. Of Safety Net Policy, The Budget Project (INVITED)

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UnjrfnCkT4y07uoD4b-5BQS