When tragedy occurs in our own community involving violence and loss of life, our sense of security is shaken and our worries for ourselves and those we love increase. During times such as these we may need additional assistance.

Whether it is a hurricane, flood, fire, active shooter event or other disaster or tragedy, 232-HELP offers information on disaster preparedness, up-to-the-minute information on road closures and evacuation routes and shelters, disaster relief assistance, response and recovery resources, and health and safety information. 232-HELP / LA 211 has demonstrated a significant contribution in times of emergency including:

• Expanding capacity of the emergency response system
• Managing unmet needs
• Reassuring and assisting callers
• Serving as intake for service providers
• Creating disaster assistance assessment forms
• Sustaining critical connection to citizens
• Rumor control and volunteer vetting

232-HELP works closely with parish and state Offices of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, 9-1-1, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), the American Red Cross, Second Harvest and other state, parish and community organizations to provide up-to-date information on available resources.