Greensburg, Kiowa County Youth Speak With One Voice 

Release Date: June 20, 2007
Release Number: 1699-036

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GREENSBURG, Kan. -- A tornado wreaked havoc on the City of Greensburg and Kiowa County on a Friday night early in May, but it did not destroy the morale of the young people here.

With less than a 48-hour notice, under a big white tent on the courthouse square, high school students met last Thursday night to discuss issues and concerns they have about their city and county.

"The meeting was scheduled for an hour and a half but went more than two hours because they had something to talk about," said Steve Castaner, branch director of the Long Term Community Recovery (LTCR) team. "The young people realize they are the future of the City of Greensburg and Kiowa County and want everyone to know they have a voice."

The students were so excited about the outcome of the meeting they asked to have another meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday back under the big white tent. They said they wanted to make sure all students in the county know about this meeting and have the opportunity to participate.

Facilitators during the first meeting warned the young people that this recovery will not happen over night or in months, and could well take years.

Under the National Response Plan, the Long Term Community Recovery team assists communities in developing a strategy for recovery. It also coordinates the resources of federal agencies to support long-term recovery efforts. LTCR addresses ongoing needs by taking a long-term approach to critical recovery requirements.

Long Term Community Recovery, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, supports efforts driven by the needs and priorities of the community and state. This support function is activated in hard hit disaster areas that require more time and specialized assistance to recover.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights.  If you are suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the Fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. 

Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Jun-2007 09:47:00