Thena Robinson helps her fellow evacuees settle into their new lives in metro Atlanta.
A friendly face, a quick joke, the charm of Canal Street. These links forge the connection Hurricane Katrina evacuees feel with Thena Robinson as they seek legal help at the Georgia Law Center for the Homeless (GLCH).
Spirited and upbeat, Robinson, an evacuee herself, soothes the spirits of those who are trying to make sense of their journey after resettling in metro Atlanta. A paralegal with the GLCH, Robinson is working daily to resolve issues Hurricane Katrina evacuees face.
"I feel like I am making a difference, a dent," she says. "People are already fearful and scared because of the whole tragedy. When they come in for service and they hear I am an evacuee, they become relaxed and soon feel a connection to home."
That link to home is now helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees track down birth and marriage certificates, social security cards and secure mortgage arrangements. "People have to start from scratch. They are outraged, frustrated and sad," Robinson says.
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Robinson is no stranger to dealing with social issues. She was a part-time law student at Loyola University and an employee with the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Center at the time Hurricane Katrina hit. Robinson's dream is to someday open a nonprofit that would aid in eradicating poverty through legal practice and advocacy.
Going about her daily tasks of encouraging and working with evacuees, Robinson says she feels lucky and happy to give back. "Working at the GLCH is like therapy for me," she remarks. "I am helping others who are displaced like me."
Resettling in Atlanta was the ideal choice for Robinson after fleeing Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. She had called Atlanta home before, and quickly fell back into her old job at GLCH, where she knew she would be needed. Continuing with her schoolwork was not a problem; Georgia State University waived tuition and accepted displaced law students immediately.
Sherri Siclair, executive director of GLCH, says Robinson is a "perfect match."
As she helps those who have relocated to metro Atlanta, Robinson's hope is for families to become stable. "Right now they are worried about housing," she says. "They worry about the money running out." Thanks to Robinson and GLCH, evacuee families can rest a little easier.
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