Executive Fiala Organizes Planning Meeting in Wake of Katrina Disaster

BINGHAMTON, NY - Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala is inviting local human service agencies to a meeting at the Edwin L. Crawford County Office Building, Thursday, September 8th at 2P.M. to discuss what resources our community might be able to offer survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

"We have received quite a few inquiries from State and Federal agencies asking us to provide them with a list of available resources," said Barbara J. Fiala, Broome County Executive. "We need to get that list together and we need to coordinate efforts so that we are all working on this together and we all understand what resources are available in our community."

Executive Fiala cautions individuals and smaller groups from soliciting families from the Hurricane ravaged areas to move here without a coordinated effort. That is what Thursday's meeting aims to address.

So far the groups invited to the meeting include; Broome County Department of Social Services, Broome County Office of Employment and Training, Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross, United Way of Broome County, Catholic Charities, SEPP, Volunteers of America, YMCA, YWCA and the Broome County Council of Churches. (This is not a complete list.)

"The devastation we have witnessed in the Gulf Coast Region is beyond anything we can imagine and the loss and heartbreak these survivors have experienced is beyond comprehension," added Fiala. "We cannot sit by and do nothing but at the same time this has to be a coordinated effort."

Thursday's meeting will take place in the Executive's Conference Room on the 6th Floor of the Broome County Office Building.

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