Initial Proposal for Biloxi Community Revitalization Center

Plan Objective

CAN-DO's goal is to bring a sense of community back to all the residents of Biloxi by providing the infrastructure of organized, centralized emergency relief for those who still need it, without taxing the already overburdened resources of local officials. Many would agree that while there is a recognizable shelter need in the community, this would eventually serve a greater overall purpose, only if county, city and local business officials focus on rebuilding efforts. The predictable end result would be employment-rich, thriving Biloxi area.

However, the two goals are not mutually exclusive. Working in cooperation and coordination with Local officials, State and Federal governments, along with private interests (refer to Appendix B), can create and manage a system of centralized relief programs that will eventually support the transition to rebuilding. This, happening in conjunction with the renewal efforts, will result in making the community, as a whole, feel much safer, stronger and in control of the future.

Proposed Plan Description/Overview

The Biloxi Centralized Revitalization Center (CRC) will guide city residents still in need of basic services through the maze of relief aid available to them and assist them in the recovery process. Services provided in the renovated space made available at Du Kate Elementary School will help those in need feel they are a part of the city's revitalization efforts and encourage them to work toward supporting it for years to come.

Facilities and services available through the various providers (see possible examples below) will take care of those currently in need of short-term benefits and at the same time help transition them from relief programs to longer-term benefits available to all local residents. Longer-term benefits include education benefits, job placement programs, counseling, and information on assistance with childcare.

Society needs will vary as the city progresses from rebuilding to full-on renewal. Programs will be initiated, and relief will be offered based on the society's overall need and the servicing of the community at large. Some short-term programs will extend if a quantifiable need continues to exist, while some longer term aid will be reduced, as it proves unnecessary.

How It Works

In the CRC, short term programs and long term benefits are set up and run under one roof, or in close coordination with each other to provide a system of cooperation and communication. Had we started the facility sooner, the office of Volunteer Management would have defined which short term and emergency aid would have occupied the space. Now that we are approaching two full months after the storm hit, appropriate long-term benefits will become available in the center.

Included in the CRC plans are a Resource Center providing job placement training as well as Continuing Education Information and Services. Continuing efforts to manage the relationship between the CRC and local officials will define how we can best serve those interests.

Working toward serving the current quantifiable needs in the area, plans include a Healthcare Clinic, Childcare Services, Personal Care Facilities, Home Repair Services, Supplies Warehousing, Volunteer Housing and Emergency Shelter facilities. (Please refer to Appendix C to review further information and justification for the services heretofore mentioned).

An Office of Volunteer Management has been suggested and is under review at this time. Should this proposal be adopted and shifted towards enacting the suggestions made hereon, a separate, but related request will be made to review the feasibility of such a position.

Addressing Short Term Needs

Aside from the obvious benefits of providing both short and long term services to the people of Biloxi , this plan ensures that local officials are not deemed as having “forgotten” the less fortunate part of the city. Furthermore, it ensures that emergency services are still offered where appropriate, but eventually transition out, once no longer justified.

For those still requiring the services, water, food, shelter and a locker room will continuously be available, along with training and encouragement to transition to a workforce and/or home environment. A meeting area is designated to encourage different agencies and volunteer organizations to work together, thus diminishing any chance of duplication of efforts and fraud.

Victims are instructed on how and where, to register and to receive aid, as well as, notifying what aid is available. Those unable to make arrangements for themselves will have assistance immediately on hand. Also, specific needs (particularly medical) will be met. The bottom line is that while the CRC is there to take care of required short term needs, the goal is to encourage transition to self-sustaining measures.

Addressing Longer Term Needs

Now that we have passed the initial period of meeting the immediate needs of most victims, it is imperative that a different focus takes precedence. Once victims are registered for aid and are receiving it, the CRC plans to actively change focus to promote the area's rebuilding initiative. Employment assistance programs, including job retraining, childcare, education assistance, DMV, and other services can now be housed in the areas where emergency assistance organizations were once needed.

Specific Aid Proposal

A suitable location has been found in the Du Kate Elementary School to house both short term and long-term programs, including, but not limited to the following:

Health Clinic: Many residents have yet to reconnect with their primary physicians, leaving the local hospital overburdened. Local Free Clinics were originally set up with volunteer doctors coming in from all areas to donate their skills and time to take care of patients. However, the need now is to transfer these Clinics to be run by local physicians, and to disseminate information so local doctors and patients can reconnect. This serves both the need of caring for the patient as well as rebuilding the doctors' business.

Day Care : While those displaced workers attempt to obtain new employment (or new skill training), there is a greater need for Day Care and After School Programs. As with the Health Clinic plan, this facility will provide interim care and referrals, helping parents to locate local childcare providers.

Hot Meals: Displaced residents are still in need of hot meals. While this is proposed as a short term program, the kitchen and cafeteria can not only prepare and serve up to 2,000 daily meals, but may also be used for new skill training for displaced workers interested in restaurant work.

Locker Room Facilities: The sad fact is there is still a need for private bathing facilities for many residents. Displaced citizens using these facilities will further be guided to register for longer-term benefits, such as FEMA's trailer program.

Home Repair / Clean-up: Those residents in need of assistance with property repair and cleaning will find a wealth of information and volunteer help at the Biloxi CRC.

Resource Center: A manned computer lab will assist those needing to register online for AID programs. High-speed web access will allow citizens to visit the sites of the many programs available, such as FEMA, MEMA, Salvation Army, Red Cross, and others.

Warehousing: The lack of warehouse facility in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has left many aid and volunteer organizations with the problem of securing supplies and donated products. The school gymnasium will allow ample storage room for clean up materials, new clothes and food headed to distribution centers, and other goods, such as furniture, that needs to be stored securely until needed.

Housing: Long term volunteers working at the sites, or new to the area will have a controlled, secure environment in which to stay. In addition, the land in the back of the school is large enough to facilitate FEMA trailers to accommodate the many survivors still in need of a residence.

Volunteer Management: Volunteer groups and maverick volunteers will be asked to register at the CRC. According to the volunteers' skills, they will be matched up to best assist those in need. Furthermore, it will provide the city with an easy way to communicate with the many volunteers who arrive in the area.

Conclusion

The immediate transformation of the DuKate Elementary School into a Community Revitalization Center provides the area with many essential resources, while assisting the transition to the initial phase of renewal and rebuilding. A functioning resource center housing multiple volunteer and aid organizations provides a centralized, organized program to manage them and assist the displaced residents of the Biloxi area.

The long-range plan is to make the center a renovated city facility, which will be designed to assist in the transition in revitalization and serving the community well into the future.

Please see Figures 1 – 3 on the following pages for a preliminary schematic of how different agencies will fit together at this location.

Proposed Schematics

First Floor Plan

The first floor of the Biloxi Community Revitalization Center (CRC) will be designed to house the administration of the various Aids and Volunteer organizations that will take part in the program. Most rooms (excluding the Kitchen and Cafeteria found on this floor) are intended for office use and will be approved only for use as such. Each program office will be equipped with computers that are part of a Local Area Network (LAN) allowing for free access and distribution of information between agencies with log-ins. The proximity of offices, along with a shared database fosters communication and cooperation among the various participants.

Childcare and Medical and Mental Health Facilities are planned for the Northeast and Northwest wings, respectively. These Facilities will have their own ingress and egress paths, and separate computer systems, to protect the confidentiality of patients, parents and children. There are no plans to keep a pharmacy onsite, though the need for some warehousing of medical supplies is recognized.

Figure 1. First Floor Schematic

The second floor is set to house the Resource Center and staff. The computer lab will be connected to the installed LAN, but will not allow access to database information shared by aid organizations. Instead, victims will use the lab to register online for the various aid programs available to them over the web.

High-speed access will allow victims to register quickly for local and private aid, MEMA, FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army, DMV and others as necessary. Other resources such as printers fax machines, and scanners will assist them in communication efforts. Trained staff will be on hand to aid and educate victims not accustomed to using technology. Long term plans for the lab include using the facility for job outplacement training.

Figure 2. Second Floor Schematic

The Auditorium serves primarily as a meeting place for Emergency Relief Personnel, but also offers several other possibilities. A multimedia projection system has been pledged for the room, making it an ideal area for speeches, lectures, press conferences, seminars and workshops. The room also lends itself well to being used as a classroom for outplacement training or as a community-meeting place.

The Gymnasium, as noted earlier, is the ideal location for a secure warehousing storage of everything: such as food, medical supplies and donated furniture. Many groups are securing donations for the people of the area who have no place to keep them while they await housing. This area will allow us to continue to provide the services essential for the society. To ensure the security of the warehouse, and the grounds in general, it is proposed that services of Spartan Group International, a global security firm specializing in crisis response and management is obtained.

Figures 3 and 4. Auditorium and Gymnasium Schematic