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PRESS RELEASE
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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| Thursday, May 15, 2003 |
Contact: AoA Press Office
(202) 401-4541 |
AoA Provides Disaster Relief To Older Victims Of Texas’
Tropical Storm Fay
Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for
Aging, Josefina G. Carbonell, recently awarded $70,000 to the
Texas Department on Aging to reimburse six counties in the Coastal
Bend Region of Texas that were hardest hit by Tropical Storm Fay
last September. The storm caused severe flooding and tornadoes
and resulted in extensive damage to hundreds of older residents;
many were evacuated from their homes. On September 26, 2002, President
Bush declared the following counties within the Coastal Bend Region
of Texas: Aransas, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces and San
Patrico as eligible for national disaster assistance.
The AoA disaster relief funds are needed to provide critical
gap-filling services and advocacy for older victims. Assistant
Secretary Carbonell expressed her commitment to helping them recover.
“Many seniors living in the Coastal Bend region of Texas
were devastated by the severe storms and flooding due to Tropical
Storm Fay. The award of these funds will help the Texas Area Agencies
increase their supportive services to older Texans who need assistance
in rebuilding their lives. For older persons, it is a lot harder
to leave their cherished possessions and memories behind and this
assistance will help rebuild their lives,” said Assistant
Secretary Carbonell.
The Texas Department on Aging will use the AoA funds to reimburse
its Area Agencies on Aging for gap-filling services that were
provided, such as: helping clients with chore services, ongoing
clean-up and debris removal; assisting with minor home repair;
providing relief for relocation expenses, obtaining temporary
housing and lodging reimbursement; and helping with transportation
and meals.
AoA funds also will help fund advocacy service that was provided
to older storm victims in the affected area. This includes assessing
individual needs of older persons to match with available resources;
providing help and support with returning to normalcy; and assisting
victims register with FEMA and the Red Cross.
For additional information on AoA’s national disaster preparedness
and response activities, please contact Irma Tetzloff at (202)
357-3525.
| Last Modified: 7/16/2009 9:06:11 AM |
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