Lincoln won't take in evacuees
Lincoln disaster relief officials announced Tuesday that the city no longer is considered a destination for refugees from Hurricane Katrina. More Katrina coverage
Lancaster County Red Cross Executive Director Randy Jones said the downgrade from “stand by” to “stand down” in both Lincoln and Omaha did not mean the end of relief efforts in Nebraska.
“The shelter was just one of many activities we’ve been focusing on,” Jones said. “Our focus remains the highest with people that are already here.”
About 70 families displaced by the hurricane and flooding in the Gulf Coast region have made their way to Lincoln in the past two weeks.
The last three refugees brought to Omaha on Saturday had taken trains to other parts of the country by noon Tuesday, said Judy Peschio, executive director of the Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross. The remaining 163 refugees have found accommodations with friends and family or are staying in transitional housing in hotels, she said.
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church was designated by Red Cross to receive up to 200 refugees in Lincoln and had cleared out its sanctuary to house them. Senior Pastor Wayne Alloway said the announcement was good news, even though the congregation was eager to help the refugees.
“If there are no more evacuees to be resettled in Nebraska, that means they’ve been resettled somewhere else, and that’s a good thing,” Alloway said.
Lancaster County Red Cross Executive Director Randy Jones said the downgrade from “stand by” to “stand down” in both Lincoln and Omaha did not mean the end of relief efforts in Nebraska.
“The shelter was just one of many activities we’ve been focusing on,” Jones said. “Our focus remains the highest with people that are already here.”
About 70 families displaced by the hurricane and flooding in the Gulf Coast region have made their way to Lincoln in the past two weeks.
The last three refugees brought to Omaha on Saturday had taken trains to other parts of the country by noon Tuesday, said Judy Peschio, executive director of the Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross. The remaining 163 refugees have found accommodations with friends and family or are staying in transitional housing in hotels, she said.
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church was designated by Red Cross to receive up to 200 refugees in Lincoln and had cleared out its sanctuary to house them. Senior Pastor Wayne Alloway said the announcement was good news, even though the congregation was eager to help the refugees.
“If there are no more evacuees to be resettled in Nebraska, that means they’ve been resettled somewhere else, and that’s a good thing,” Alloway said.
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