Home » News » Press Releases » 2005 » City Continues Aiding Evacuees at 3 Shelters 09/04/05

For Immediate Release: September 4, 2005, 11:30 a.m. Contact: Susan Beckley Helt, PhD Director of Public Information Phone: (972) 941-5716 City Continues Aiding Evacuees at 3 Shelters The City of Plano’s proactive efforts to aid Hurricane Katrina evacuees continued with 105 people being registered through the City Processing Center last night. The Processing Center will be open today and Monday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Plano’s faith-based community has taken on the responsibility to temporarily house evacuees in three shelters. Two more faith-based sites are available to accept additional evacuees. The City has not made a decision to open a city-operated shelter at this time. Other evacuees have chosen to continue residing at local Plano hotels. The City is monitoring their needs and researching longer-term solutions, such as extended stay hotels and apartments. In the meantime, food and supplies are being delivered to the hotels as they are requested. Donation sites have not been established in Plano at this time. The City is seeking a faith-based organization to store and staff a center for private donations. Interested organizations should call (972) 941-5718 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The City’s Emergency Operations Center, which was activated at noon on September 2, 2005, remains operational. The City of Plano elected officials and staff are developing a long-term plan to shelter evacuees for up to six months. Mayor Pro Tem Ken Lambert will be visiting Shelter locations this afternoon to offer encouragement to evacuees, volunteers and staff. Lambert said “We are very pleased with how smoothly the processing center has operated. As we continue to meet the needs of our Gulf Coast neighbors, we will do everything within our means to make their stay in Plano comfortable.” An information hotline has been set up: (972) 941-7777. There will be no persons manning this line; rather, it is an information only telephone service. More information will be provided as it becomes available.