[Katrina-IT-Volunteers] Yet more confusion at registration and other things

[Eddleman at mail.utexas.edu]

I'm on this list, but have actually been working for the Red Cross at the
Convention Center.  The Red Cross workers are supposed to wear white or red
t-shirts, but I'm not sure they always follow this suggestion.  Please don't
take offense at their suggestion to be more identifiable.  Also, it seems that
someone mentioned the Red Cross will provide transportation to another
destination if the evacuees want one.  As far as I know this is not true.  The
Red Cross will provide financial assistance for a family or household in the
form of a check - the assistance is dependent on how many are in the family. 
They also provide a landlord form - and if the evacuee wants to get a place in
Austin (& the landlord agrees), Red Cross will pay the first month's rent only.
 Additionally, Red Cross provides a voucher to use at Goodwill.  We have been
told that the City of Austin will provide transportation for the family to
another destination - the Red Cross doesn't do this.  Also, please keep in mind
when you're helping folks with FEMA that some people actually believe that FEMA
and Red Cross are the same agency.  We've had to explain many times that they
are two separate agencies.  Thanks for all the hard work you're doing!!! 







Quoting Deborah Zallen <deborahzallen at zallen.com>:

> This was my second time at the registration area.  Which is no longer in the
> back near the cafeteria.  It is now in the front of the convention center.
> Much better location.
> 
> I kept getting different information on what I was suppose to tell new
> evacuees.  First the were suppose to register and then get a yellow index
> card with a number.  Then they could not register unless they had a yellow
> index card.  But the were not being allowed in the building if the did not
> have a wrist band.
> 
> I have not worked the other area and I am not really sure I know which of
> the computers inside the dorms is even the correct one.  I can never seem to
> find anyone to direct me to them.  I was suppose to work them today but I
> did not know where or who to talk to.  I found someone at registration who
> knew about Freenet and I ended up working there.   Dale's sister trained me
> on the latest intake procedures on the computer.
> 
> I found errors with the application but no one knew who to contact to fix
> them.   There are problems with updating saved intake forms.  Some of the
> fields will update and some do not.  I had some people who had been at the
> Tony Burger Center and were in the computer but there was hardly any of
> there information.  We tried to update their records but ended up creating
> new ones.  Therefore these people are in the database twice.  I wrote down
> the info in someone's notebook.  I can not think of her name at the moment
> but she had on a red bandana.
> 
> IT control?  Never knew it existed.
> 
> Deborah
>