June 2009
For more information: Eddie Parker
Phone: (803) 252-8773
Customer Contact Specialists at the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Referral Call Center (RCC) in Columbia, S.C. know, first hand, the trials and troubles that families can go through during these tough economic times. As you may remember, Hurricane Gustav, which caused the largest evacuation in U.S. history, made landfall on the Louisiana coast on September 1, 2008, causing around $4.3 billion in damages. Even more tragic, the Category 2 storm left thousands homeless along the Gulf Coast. Then Hurricane Ike hit the coast around Galveston, Texas as a Category 2 storm on September 13, 2008 causing over $24 billion in damages and again, leaving thousands homeless. What you may not know is that now, 10 months later, there are still thousands without a home due to these two storms. The HUD-RCC Team talks to an average of over 100 families every day who still are trying to recover from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Earlier, they also assisted victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Knowing the plight of the folks they talk with every day has made the HUD-RCC team acutely aware of what is going on right here in the Midlands. The team, which is contracted by HUD to direct callers to FEMA or an assigned Housing Authority, are employees of the Tom Sawyer Company (TSC) and are based in Columbia. They have decided to put some help where their hearts are and have begun a company-wide food drive for the Harvest Hope Food Bank. Harvest Hope officials say the local food bank experienced a 142 percent increase in families needing help the first quarter of this year. That increase is blamed primarily on the current economic situation and they say it will get worse during the summer, when more children are at home.
Harvest Hope provided two large bins that TSC employees are filling with canned goods and packaged foods. And the HUD-RCC Team decided to up the ante by providing prizes to the top contributors. Gift certificates, dinners and other gifts will be awarded to the top three employees in giving. Team Supervisor Latonya Bolden says the call center staff is very excited about the chance to help and the response has been uplifting, “We, better than many, know how important it is to give back to a hurting community and help our less fortunate”.
The HUD-RCC representatives are running their Food Drive through July 31, 2009. After that, they will still be offering housing assistance to callers around the country with the satisfaction of knowing they have also helped many right here at home. If you, your business or organization would like to help the Harvest Hope Food Bank, you can reach them at (803) 254-4432. Their website is www.harvesthope.org.
Whether displaced by a vicious storm or victim to the current economic crisis, the result is the same. Families are hurting. Join the folks who listen to their stories over 100 times a day; please help by donating or volunteering now.