Church event provides data to evacuees, others

By Claudia M. Williams
Staff Writer
St. Andrew’s UMC, San Antonio, is sponsoring an information day May 17 for residents of the Crestview Apartments.
That’s where the 633-member congregation is working with 36 families who were evacuated from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29.
What began as a concept exclusively for Louisiana evacuees in the apartment complex has expanded to include residents of all of the nearly 300 apartments, said Al Cargen, chair of the St. Andrew’s volunteer team “KFC”—Katrina Family Commission.
The event is intended not only to provide the evacuees information about health care and education and training but also to generate interaction among the Katrina families and their neighbors, Cargen said.
While enjoying typical picnic food and “pot luck” they’ve been asked to bring, apartment residents will be able to get their blood pressure checked and receive advice on nutrition. Other healthcare information is to include literature about diabetes, high blood pressure, diet, family planning and child abuse.
Another table is to provide information about education and vocational training available in the city.
Additionally, apartment residents can learn about the public library next to the complex, where computers are available for private use and where people can learn basic computer skills.
Church members are to hand out information about St. Andrew’s along with a simple map to the church. St. Andrew’s is about five miles from the apartments on the north side of San Antonio.
The church’s KFC has aided its adopted families since they arrived in San Antonio with “literally, no more than the clothes on their back,” Cargen said.
“We picked them up from the shelter,” he said. “We started out going to adopt three families.”
Instead, Cargen said, the church adopted 36.
The 11 team members take care of much more than the families’ basic needs. Team members check up on their adopted families weekly.
“We’ve divided the 36 into six groups,” Cargen said. “There’s a team leader for each group. They keep in contact with the families. They go over there and knock on the door to see what they need.”
Evacuees “need to know we’re there for them,” Cargen said.
Team members meet weekly to review their activities.
“This is a team effort that represents the church,” Cargen said. “The reason we do this is the human aspect. Ours is an older generation church, and we have so much to be thankful for.”
He said some of the evacuees have had trouble working their way through government agencies to get established in the city.
“We don’t seem to realize how important a Social Security card is,” Cargen said. “Not just the number, the card. Or a birth certificate. If you don’t have any of that, it’s daunting.”
The KFC has helped families acquire these forms of identification.
as well as connect with the Texas Health and Human Resources and Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cargen said.
“They’ve lived in their own geographic area (in Louisiana) and used the bus system there,” Cargen said. “They’re in awe of San Antonio. It’s overwhelming, and using the bus system is confusing here.”