Faith in the Face of Disaster: UU Response to Hurricane Katrina

Resources for Children and Families

Helping children: For families directly affected by Katrina

How can we explain such tragedy and devastation? How can we make our children feel safe when we ourselves are so deeply shaken? We simply do the best we can. We take small steps. Those who have worked with families directly impacted by disaster recommend that immediately after the disaster, adults' first priority must be to try to reduce children's fears and anxiety. Keep the family together, even when searching for assistance and housing. Children will be concerned that they could lose you as well. Encourage children to ask questions, talk and express their feelings. Be calm and straightforward in your responses. It's okay to tell children that there are some things that you are still figuring out. Reassure them of your love and affirm your commitment to getting family life back to normal. Let them know that prayers, love, and wishes are being sent to them by children and families from across the country, because this is so very true.

• Helping Children Handle Disaster-Related Anxiety
  Developed by the National Mental Health Association, this brief resource outlines how children and adolescents may express disaster-related anxiety, and ways that adults can support them.
• Managing Traumatic Stress: After Hurricane Katrina
  This fact-sheet, developed by the American Psychological Association, provides an overview of how to support families recovering from the hurricane disaster.  With specific attention to children and adults, the sheet provides a concise, comprehensive, resource.
• Reactions and Guidelines for Children following Trauma/Disaster
  Developed by the American Psychological Association (APA), this is an excellent resource for supporting school age, middle school age, and high school students who are directly affected by the disaster.  For each age group, this resource provides sections on "What to expect after trauma: possible reactions," "What can teachers do to help?" and "What can parents do to help?"
• Hurricane Katrina Resources
  Compiled by the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist District, these linked resources are particularly helpful for families directly affected by the disaster.
• Key Facts about Hurricane Recovery
  This resource, from the Center for Disease Control, provides detailed information the process of recovering from a hurricane disaster. 
• Family Readiness Kit:  Preparing Families to Handle disaster
  Children often ask, "Will you be able to keep me safe?"  The family readiness kit, developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides a step-by-step outline of when and how to prepare for disasters.  Especially appropriate for school age children, the on-line kit is practical and reassuring.

"It makes you get a grip:" Starting a school year in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

Tracey L. Hurd, Ph.D., Children and Families Programs Director, Lifespan Faith Development, UUA

It's the end of the summer. In neighboring towns yellow school buses have taken to the streets, and ours are getting ready for next week. We have surveyed the soccer cleats, filled out the Coming of Age registration forms, signed up for hip-hop lessons and found out where we can buy stretchy textbook covers. We're getting ready for the fall.

And then, the news. The reality of Hurricane Katrina, with countless images of devastation, families uprooted, houses floating, and unimaginable grief. No yellow school buses in the photos. Our school preparations feel so trivial—almost embarrassing. We are forced to pause and reflect.

"Hearing about this stuff, kind of makes you get a grip," my teenage son says. "We're going to need to start the year with some serious fundraising for kids' in New Orleans." In this simple plan, he articulates a shift away from getting and doing, towards thinking about who he we will be in this new school year. We are connected to the hurricane and its devastation, so our context has changed. And somehow this gives us permission to let go of the search for the perfect book cover and instead think about setting our hearts and hands to work with purpose. What are we going to do? How will we use our time? It's a moment of grace. And I am wondering if this has somehow helped us set our compasses towards a year more deeply guided by faith.

I hear Reverend Gary Smith's words from a sermon last fall in my head. "Again and again we remind each other of this dual mission here, two impulses, two prayers, held in tension, the first, going deeper into ourselves and into the life of the spirit, the second, going out into the world to make a difference. Spiritual depth without action can become self-centered...Action without spiritual depth can become a frantic search and passion for one good cause after another...Heart and hands, find a way to go deeper, go out into the world, we say, there are reasons for each"

This tragedy calls and challenges us as people of faith. We mourn and pray and help because we care deeply. In this process, there is grace. It makes us "get a grip". The devastation reminds us of what we really hold dear, and who and what we want to be. We can learn so much about our own spirits as we tend to the hurts of our world and each other. Spiritual depth and action go together. This is true for children and youth as well. The process of helping leads them towards meaning making and growing in faith. We need to support children and youth as they raise money through walk-a-thons around the church and bake sales, make cards for our most directly effected congregations, and say simple prayers. We can help them start their school year, in faith. This may truly nurture the inherent goodness, the love, in their souls. This is grace amidst tragedy.

• Resources for youth on trauma
• Helping Young Children After a Disaster , National Association for the Education of Young Children
• How to Help Kids Cope with Disaster: Ten Tips from Save the Children
• FEMA for Kids:  Hurricanes This engaging section of the FEMA for Kids website is specifically devoted to understanding hurricanes.  It provides fascinating information divided into kid-friendly sections including:  The 15 biggest hurricanes from 1900-2000; Why we can't stop hurricanes; Hurricane IQ quiz; Starting points for hurricanes; Hurricane disaster math; Disaster intensity scales; Hurricane house game; and more.

Faith in the Face of Disaster: UU Response to Hurricane Katrina

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