Does the Safety Net Need a Safety Net?

by Shannon Moriarty

Published May 28, 2009 @ 06:09PM PT

Rebounding from disaster is never easy. But today, the forces of our sour economy are complicating matters for both the social service safety net and those displaced by disaster. Disasters can take a heavy toll on a person, a family, and a community. Whether it's a fire or flood affecting one house or an entire neighborhood, the aftermath is devastating for those who are displaced. 

Take, for example, the Vancouver family in Washington. Their rental house burned to the ground several months ago. Although they received donations and support from the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, they could only do so much. As a result, the family was split up and living without a home for months. Here's more from the Columbian.com:

"It's not like we asked for our house to burn down," Seaunier, 40, said. "It's the most horrible thing that has happened to my family."

These financially strapped nonprofit organizations can offer only immediate disaster relief, not long-term housing. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are geared toward families' initial reprieve until the shock wears off enough that they can look for new homes.

And with the current sour economy, these resources are wearing thin already. The Red Cross generally doesn't draw from government funding and relies chiefly on community donations, which have been down.

The decline in donations has depleted the nonprofit's travel, training and supplies, but fortunately hasn't hurt volunteers' ability to respond, said David Fenton, development director for Southwest Washington Chapter of the American Red Cross.

After the initial emergency relief comes the search for a new home. If a family carries homeowners or renters insurance it usually can rebound quickly. If not, victims such as the Seaunier-Rogers family typically turn up at homeless shelters or low-income housing units. (snip)

Today, they might be turned away. That's what happened with Seaunier, who called shelters on a couple of occasions only to find they were already full. Fortunately, extended family members helped pay for Seaunier, Amanda and Tyson to continue staying at Motel 6.

It's good to be aware of how your community safety net is holding up to the economic forces these days. Are donations down? Are shelters full? Are services being cut?

Just as nobody ever thinks their house will burn to the ground, no one ever plans to become homeless. But if it does happen, it's important to know that organizations are in good financial health to get you back on your feet. More importantly, that an unexpected emergency won't derail you for a prolonged period of time.