Guest Author - Sunniej Jackson

Hurricane Katrina affected whole cities and disrupted lives for entire families including individuals that were in school pursuing educational goals. Misplaced students due to school closings have a new resource to get back on track and get back in school and on with their lives.

A great link I have found to share is The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board which established the KatrinaCollegeStudents.org Web site to be a clearinghouse for colleges and universities that will accept students displaced from schools in the Gulf Coast region.

The site includes links to Texas and federal agencies, and major relief organizations as well as providing links to state education agencies for Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma; the Katrina Survivor Locator, containing nearly 23,000 individuals and provides room for names to be added as well as a message board to leave messages and make connections.

There is still a great number of missing people and family members. Sharing information on resources, organizations and assisting everyway we can is the only way to continue working on solving all of the major problems that Hurricane Katrina left behind. The individuals affected by this national disaster will not easily forget this horrendous experience which will take many months to get back to any sense of normalcy. We have to continue to focus on ways to help these families reach long term self sufficiency.

Please continue to keep these families in your thoughts, share resources, and pass on information as quickly as possible. Minutes count when disasters strike as we all know.