The IRD Gulf Coast Community Service Center (GCCSC) has been rebuilding the lives of the citizens of the Mississippi Gulf Coast since October 2005, opening its doors a little more than one month following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The goal of the Center is to reach out to the community and assist in the organization and facilitation of an often-difficult recovery process. Located in West Gulfport, the Center serves the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast, representing most of the Coastal cities as well as the three Coastal counties.

The GCCSC began it work on the Gulf Coast by administering emergency relief, but has transitioned its services to focus on sustainable, long-term recovery. The Center was one of the first agencies in the area administering needs assessments and mapping the most affected areas. The goal of the multi-faceted needs assessment and community mapping process conducted by the Center was to identify potential applicants for assistance following the hurricane. As the recovery cycle progressed from assessing needs to managing needs on an individual basis, the GCCSC has changed its focus to assisting citizens in need through case management. Case managers facilitate the recovery process for survivors by identifying ways to maximize their access to community resources.

The Center hosts a walk-in center for assessments administered by the Harrison County Long Term Recovery Coalition (LTRC), and has developed a resource guide printed by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide to other relief agencies as a reference.

The Center also provides financial counseling to hurricane victims and MDA Phase II grant recipients seeking to purchase or rebuild homes through funding from the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta. This counseling not only prepares beneficiaries for homeownership, but gives them tools for long-term financial security. And in partnership with the Mennonite Economic Development Association (MEDA), the Center will create and manage a micro-enterprise capital fund which will finance start-up businesses along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Additionally, the GCCSC will support the development of an open-air market in its Gulfport neighborhood.

IRD also participates in YouthBuild, a program that provides comprehensive programs for vocational development, workforce training and career counseling with Gulf Coast youth. YouthBuild teaches local at-risk high school students how to assist in rebuilding homes while helping them get their GED.

Helping people rebuild their lives, their relationships, and their sense of self-sufficiency, is equally as important to their long-term recovery and that of their communities as their physical needs. It is the human side of recovery that the GCCSC addresses, for thousands of Katrina survivors.

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