FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Recovery Corps to announce 2009 legislative agenda

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps will for the first time adopt a state and federal legislative agenda and actively advocate for, educate around, and work to legislatively impact key issues dealing with long-term humanitarian disaster recovery.

The Recovery Corps will announce its 2009 Legislative Agenda on Monday, March 9, 2009.

“This is a new direction for the Recovery Corps, but one that rounds out our agency as a leader in the field of human recovery, both statewide and nationally,” said Dr. Monteic A. Sizer, President and CEO of the Recovery Corps. “While we will be announcing our formal legislative initiative soon, the reality is that we have been speaking to and educating state and national leaders on the key issues concerning human recovery for a long time now and have done so with considerable impact.”

Formed in 2005 in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Recovery Corps has developed a reputation for its ability to design quality, outcome-based proprietary programs that offer direct assistance to disaster-impacted residents in an effective and efficient manner. The agency has served more than 30,000 families and individuals via resources allocated by the state and federal governments and private organizations.

The Recovery Corps has also produced and commissioned important research related to Louisiana’s long-term recovery efforts and the impacts of disaster on people, working with respected organizations such as The Children’s Health Fund, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, The Urban Institute, Berkeley Policy Associates, and others.

Key issues that will be specifically defined and discussed within the Recovery Corps’ state and federal legislative agenda include identifying gaps within recovery-related funding and services, coordination and alignment of recovery-related resources, increased accountabilities and transparency associated with recovery-related resources, strengthening the non-profit sector, removing barriers that impact human recovery, and developing a preparedness structure for long-term human recovery.

“It is important that we work at both the state and the federal levels, as there is important work to be done within both realms,” Sizer added. “While it is essential to ensure that the state is properly structured to be able to advance the long-term recovery process for our citizens, many barriers and programmatic protocols that the state faces filter down from the national level. We have strong national partners and will continue to work with them and our key statewide allies to advocate and make a positive impact for the people of Louisiana.”

The addition of the Recovery Corps’ legislative initiative is a key component in placing the organization at the forefront relative to human disaster recovery. Not only does the Recovery Corps provide direct services to impacted people, but it also executes meaningful research surrounding key recovery issues and trends and then utilizes the findings from the programs and research to develop policy positions and better situate government, private, and non-profit organizations so that they may best serve the needs of those who suffer from disasters.

ABOUT THE RECOVERY CORPS
The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Baton Rouge, La., and formed in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Recovery Corps’ mission is to facilitate human recovery for the State of Louisiana in the aftermath of disaster, both natural and man-made. The Recovery Corps has partnered with human service and non-profit organizations throughout the state and the country to deliver assistance as effectively and efficiently as possible, allocating more than $80 million to recovery efforts and assisting more than 30,000 households since January 2006.