Press Releases
Released on November 13, 2006
DISPLACED GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA RESIDENTS ARE NOLA BOUND
The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps and the City of New Orleans launch an initiative to provide information and planning assistance to facilitate return of displaced residents.
NEW ORLEANS, LA. - On Nov. 13, The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, in partnership
with the City of New Orleans, launched NOLA Bound—an initiative created
to facilitate informed decision-making for out-of-state displaced Greater New
Orleans Area residents in their efforts to return.
“NOLA Bound wants everyone to come home when they are ready,” asserts Raymond Jetson, chief executive officer of the LFRC. “By calling our toll- free telephone number,New Orleans residents scattered throughout the country can benefit from personal contact and the most updated information about their neighborhood. This information will provide residents with a better understanding of the new opportunities and challenges they may face upon returning to their city. Many residents want to come home, but are simply not sure where to begin in the process. Their way home can now start with NOLA Bound.”
Greater New Orleans Area residents living outside Louisiana can call toll- free, 1-877- PLAN4LA (752-6452) to speak with a NOLA Bound planning partner Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
The NOLA Bound call center will provide displaced Greater New Orleans Area residents with personal planning assistance and support in identifying individual steps toward making a successful transition to New Orleans. NOLA Bound will offer personal attention for residents seeking specific information about the rebuilding and recovery progress of their city as well as the status of neighborhoods and communities, including open businesses, rebuilding updates, jobs, school and child care openings, health care facilities and information about housing.
“We have the second piece of their return. With NOLA Bound, they’ll get extensive information in order to make an informed decision and, through our Welcome Home Center, the attention they may need once they are here,” says Mayor Ray Nagin.
NOLA Bound emphasizes personal contact and up-to-date information for residents to use in designing a step-by-step plan to begin their journey home. When a caller contacts NOLA Bound, they will speak directly to a planning partner who will work with them to plan their own personalized steps as part of their decision to return to New Orleans. In addition to planning partners, NOLA Bound will use neighborhood liaisons who will be gathering key, up-to-date information residents may need in deciding when to return.
There are a number of personal, financial and emotional considerations a resident or family must consider in their desire to return to New Orleans, such as:
STEP ONE: ARE YOU READY?
NOLA Bound has created a readiness “assessment” questionnaire for
New Orleanians living outside Louisiana to examine if their personal situation
aligns with their desire to return. This
short questionnaire is designed to help families assess their own circumstances and decide for themselves if the realities they may face or experience can be successfully addressed upon returning or whether they may need additional time. The assessment covers topics such as living accommodations, employment, household affairs, available support networks, schools and childcare.
STEP TWO: PLAN YOUR MOVE
If residents determine they are ready, they must plan their move. This step-by-step
process provides an actual checklist and timeline for making their move. It
begins one month before the planned move date and outlines the moving process
in order to facilitate a smooth transition. NOLA Bound has considered every
type of resident in the process, including homeowners, renters, those utilizing
Housing Authority assistance programs and those planning to live with family
or friends.
STEP THREE: GET INFORMATION
The last step provides a quick reference guide that gives contact information
for a range of services that are necessary upon return. Residents may need to
restore utilities, enroll their children in schools and seek employment before
returning. This step gives residents additional information with which to finalize
their plans as they make the transition back to their neighborhoods and communities.
“Residents long to return to New Orleans, but they may be unfamiliar with the challenges that are part of the process,” said Jetson. “NOLA Bound will ease the process of negotiating the overwhelming details of moving home and give residents the opportunity to ask questions directly to people who can help them get their plan in place. The way home starts with by calling NOLA Bound.”
For displaced residents who want to return to New Orleans and can plan their own transition, a free toolkit offered by NOLA Bound can be downloaded online at www.nolabound.org.
The mission of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is to recover the state’s
most precious resource…families. The Recovery Corps is a private nonprofit
organization created to provide the missing link in disaster recovery by addressing
the needs of people. Through its execution of three core strategies—connecting,
coordinating, and communicating—comprehensive humanitarian services are
made available to displaced Louisianans whether living in Louisiana, or other
states.
