Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library: Crisis Corps: January 23, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive: Crisis Corps : September 17, 2006: Headlines: COS - Ukraine: Hurricane Relief: Crisis Corps: PCOL Exclusive: Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 1) : October 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ukraine: Hurricane Relief: Crisis Corps: PCOL Exclusive: Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 2)

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Feb 27, 2006, 7:11:13 PM2/27/06

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Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library:
Crisis Corps: January 23, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive:
Crisis Corps : September 17, 2006: Headlines: COS -
Ukraine: Hurricane Relief: Crisis Corps: PCOL Exclusive:
Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs
working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 1) :
October 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ukraine: Hurricane Relief:
Crisis Corps: PCOL Exclusive: Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison
Stevens writes about RPCVs working in Crisis Corps in
Hurricane Relief (Part 2)
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By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-25-123.balt.east.verizon.net
- 151.196.25.123) on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 07:11 pm:

Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs
working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 2)

[ Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs
working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 2) ]

FEMA employees and Crisis Corps volunteers are not
first-responders, like fire fighters and Red Cross
volunteers often are. We are not even second-responders like
insurance companies are. Yet, FEMA is the unifier of most
responses to declared disasters. In our rural area, folks
are friendly. Lunches are sent to us by the local school
cafeteria. We obviously do not accept gifts, but one
grateful resident brought a cake to our DRC.

Ukraine RPCV Chandler Harrison Stevens writes about RPCVs
working in Crisis Corps in Hurricane Relief (Part 2)

KATRINA/RITA VICTIMS by Chandler Harrison Stevens
(10/1/2005)

Four of us -- Bob, Priscilla, Walt & I, from our 11-person
Crisis Corps subgroup9a of Peace Corps Katrina or USA1 (I
had been in Ukraine14 in 1999-2001) -- arrived midday in
Mobile, Alabama on Sep 19th to help in two Disaster Response
Centers (DRCs). Walt & Priscilla each rented cars, for which
Peace Corps will reimburse them. Our lodging and subsistence
money (for meals, etc.) had already been deposited in our
banks.

Using ATM cards and direct-deposits to personal bank
accounts is also occurring for Expedited Assistance (EA) of
$2,000 each, when provided by FEMA for those disaster
victims evacuated from hurricane damaged homes. One EA
check, which I later tracked down for a FEMA applicant, was
mailed to an Alabama temporary address for this evacuee from
Louisiana, just a few days after Rita hit their Lake Charles
home. Another Lake Charles evacuee, holding a three week old
baby that was born after Katrina, was referred to the
American Red Cross for temporary Rita housing and had just
as quickly been approved for $2,000 in expedited assistance.
One Katrina victim returned a $2,000 check, because the name
on the check was much different than hers, due an error made
when she applied to FEMA for help nearly a month ago.
Hindsight suggests she should have used her name to endorse
the check after explaining the error on the check. She may
not receive that reissued $2,000 check for awhile. Most
evacuees got immediate cash.

Before we worked on such matters with FEMA applicants, we
four drove on September 19th to an ABBA Shriners facility
where we could have stayed on cots. My cousins put a couple
of us up that first night before we drove north a couple of
hours to DRC#2 in Chatom to work and to a motel 40 minutes
east in Jackson, Alabama. We saw blue tarps on damaged
roofs. Many tarps probably came from the joint state & FEMA
building, a former American Legion hall, our DRC, where I am
writing this journal. When we were interviewing nearly 150
applicants daily, there was no time for writing or even for
email.

Thinking our training had ended in Orlando, we were still
glad to learn much more by observing and assisting Harold,
Marge & Randy last week, before Priscilla & I then
interviewed about 40 applicants each this week. I have
helped folks to apply for reimbursements for chainsaws or
generators bought following Katrina, to apply for housing
repair reimbursements, and to refer some applicants for
crisis counseling, disaster unemployment compensation, aid
to aged applicants, HUD urban housing, DOA rural housing,
IRS tax 2004 refunds to offset 2005 hurricane losses, free
legal help on matters not likely to entail a
percentage-of-settlement fee, Red Cross, shelters provided
sometimes by churches, and/or the Small Business
Administration (SBA), which has two representatives in our
DRC. Non-business people are usually surprised to learn that
SBA makes loans to households as well as to businesses. As a
matter of fact, as an Applicant Services Specialist (we
NEVER use the acronym for that title), I must refer to SBA
any FEMA applicant who makes over $12,000, if having no
dependents, or over $24,000, if in a 4-person household. I
don't ask their income levels, but when they applied via
http://www.fema.gov or 800-621-FEMA, they were asked. On the
computer screen I look at when they come see me, I can see
by a FIT (Failed Income Test) code if the FEMA computer
system automatically found that they could not likely pay
back an SBA loan.

SBA can loan more money than FEMA can grant for the more
expensive home repairs. I never predict whether FEMA will
pay anything or not. My job is merely to help folks apply
for anything for which they might be eligible. If their
damaged home is insured, I urge them to get a settlement
letter as soon as possible from their insurance company.

Computer systems make sure that aid is not duplicated.
Contracted FEMA inspectors go look at damages to determine
what FEMA might pay toward repairs. If an applicant wants to
appeal an inspector's decision, I suggest they get a repair
estimate on a licensed contractor's letterhead and then fax
that with their appeal letter to their nearest FEMA National
Processing Services Center (NPSC). Until our DRC closes next
Friday, Oct. 7th, we can fax those items for applicants.
Still more often, we fax generator &/or chainsaw receipts,
although FEMA pays amounts of $796.45 and $216.08,
respectively, for those items, when bought during power
outages or within 30 days of the hurricane, respectively and
subject sometimes to appropriate inspections. It would not
be easy for fraud to occur, given the careful checking that
is built into FEMA processes & systems.

In Alabama, about $100 million has gone to 100,000 Katrina
victims, which would average out to $1,000 per household.
Some applicants receive nothing, and there are upper limits
of 4 to 5 figures on what FEMA can pay, which is why loans
and grants from other sources could be important. Most
$2,000 expedited payments went to evacuees from Louisiana.
The ones I saw have nearby families here in rural Alabama.
I'm told that I'm currently in the poorest county in
Alabama. The people here are nice.

Since my Independent state legislator days in Massachusetts
in the mid-1960s, I have been advocating a negative income
tax or flat-subsidy+flat-tax as a radical middle way to
combine the anti-bureaucratic attitude of old-line
conservatives with the humanitarian commitment of old-line
liberals. I see that idea as becoming more practical now
that electronic funds transfer (EFT), automatic teller
machines (ATM), debit cards, and funny money -- in the form
of vouchers, food stamps, etc. -- have become more
prevalent. Suppose everyone received a flat subsidy of
$10/day/person, and all were taxed at 30% on all income,
including subsidies. Then a family of four earning
$34,067/year would break even. Work incentives would be
preserved, since for every additional dollar earned, seventy
cents would be retained after taxes. For the elderly, the
handicapped, and disaster victims, the flat subsidy could be
increased. For those at the low end of earning capacities
and/or having special needs, subsidies could be not in the
form of unrestricted dollars but could be limited "funny"
money that could be only spent on particular needs, such as
food, housing, repairs, clothing, counseling, retraining or
whatever might get coded into special debit cards, more
advanced than those issued to hurricane evacuees.

We're making progress! I leave for home on October 14. I'll
have more to report then.

When this story was posted in February 2006, this was on
the front page of PCOL:

Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Top Stories: February
2\, 2006 Al Kamen writes: Rice to redeploy diplomats 20 Jan
Peace Corps mourns the Loss of Volunteer Tessa Horan 1 Feb
RPCV pursues dreams in America's Heartland 1 Feb Sargent
Shriver documentary to be shown in LA 30 Jan W. Frank
Fountain is new board chairman of Africare 27 Jan Abbey
Brown writes about acid attacks in Bangladesh 26 Jan
Christopher Hill Sees Ray of Hope in N.Korea Standoff 26 Jan
Jeffrey Smit writes on one man diplomatic outposts 25 Jan
Joe Blatchford's ACCION and microfinance 24 Jan James Rupert
writes: A calculated risk in Pakistan 23 Jan Sam Farr rips
conservative immigration bill 21 Jan Americans campaign for
PC to return to Sierra Leone 20 Jan Kinky Friedman supports
Gay Marriage 20 Jan Margaret Krome writes on Women leaders
18 Jan James Walsh leads bipartisan US delegation to Ireland
17 Jan Mark Schneider writes on Elections and Beyond in
Haiti 16 Jan Robert Blackwill on a "serious setback" in
US-India relations 13 Jan Kevin Quigley writes on PC and
U.S. Image Abroad 13 Jan Emily Metzloff rides bicycle
3\,100 miles from Honduras 9 Jan Charles Brennick starts
operation InterConnection 9 Jan Lee Fisher tells story of
Pablo Morillo 7 Jan Nancy Wallace writes: Was PC a CIA front
after all? 4 Jan RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace
CorpsTimothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually
abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace
Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance
policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of
conduct established by the Peace Corps\," said Peace Corps
Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have
been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume\, which he had
submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application
to become a Peace Corps Volunteer\, showed that he had
repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with
underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about
this case. Military Option sparks concernsThe U.S.
military\, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks\, is
allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military
obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps.
Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs.
Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of
accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military
status. John Coyne says "Not only no\, but hell no!" and
RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi
Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers
while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the
Peace Corps. Read our poll results. Latest: Congress
passed a bill on December 22 including language to remove
Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military
recruitment program Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in
dangerWhen the National Call to Service legislation was
amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002\, this
country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged
military engagement in the Middle East\, as it is now. Read
the story of how one volunteer spent three years in
captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection
group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this
legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of
danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject. PC
establishes awards for top VolunteersGaddi H. Vasquez has
established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard
work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers\,
two returned Peace Corps Volunteers\, and two Peace Corps
staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers
will be based on a demonstration of impact\,
sustainability\, creativity\, and catalytic effect. Submit
your nominations by December 9. Robert F. Kennedy - 80th
anniversary of his birth"Few men are willing to brave the
disapproval of their fellows\, the censure of their
colleagues\, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a
rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great
intelligence. Yet it is the one essential\, vital quality
for those who seek to change the world which yields most
painfully to change." Peace Corps at highest Census in 30
yearsCongratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest
number of volunteers in 30 years with 7\,810 volunteers
serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course\, the
President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15\,000
volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is
now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal
spending stretching far off into the future\, any
substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have
to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new
administration. Choose your candidate and start working for
him or her now. The Peace Corps LibraryPeace Corps Online
is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now
available online. With over 30\,000 index entries in 500
categories\, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps
related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini\, you
can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same
interests or from your Country of Service are doing today.
If you have a web site\, support the "Peace Corps Library"
and link to it today. Friends of the Peace Corps 170\,000
strong170\,000 is a very special number for the RPCV
community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served
in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is
very special to us because March is the first month since
our founding in January\, 2001 that our readership has
exceeded 170\,000. And while we know that not everyone who
comes to this site is an RPCV\, they are all "Friends of the
Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source
of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

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Story Source: PCOL Exclusive

This story has been posted in the following forums: :
Headlines; COS - Ukraine; Hurricane Relief; Crisis Corps

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