The city of Lake Charles and several non-profit and faith-based organizations are hosting a series of free resource fairs for Lake Charles residents who are still recovering from the 2020 and 2021 storms during the first three weeks of November.

The “LC United Resource Fair” will take place over six days in three locations. Lake Charles residents will have the opportunity to sit down face-to-face with local agencies and learn about all recovery resources at their disposal.

Denise Durel, president and CEO, United Way of Southwest Louisiana, called the resource fairs a holistic “one-stop shop.”

“It’s going to be a one-on-one conversation with each family, each person, to really, holistically figure out what their issues are and if there are any resources available at the table.”

These include emergency, utility, food, lawyer, rental and roof repair resources, to name a few.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said this will be more than a quick conversion, but instead, an in-depth appointment that can arm residents with valuable knowledge and resources. He called the city’s current need for aid “perhaps the greatest it’s been in a generation” following a series of natural disasters.

“Significant strides” towards city-wide recovery have been made over the past few years, he said. The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program and Lake Charles Housing Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (HHRP) have led to the rebuilding or rehabilitation of 750 single-family homes in city limits.

While the sea of blue tarps has subsided, there are still citizens who require help. The process of using governmental dollars for recovery can be halted by “layers of red tape,” Hunter noted.

“That need has been met in certain ways, but we need to acknowledge that there are still some individuals in this community who have, probably for lack of a better phrase, fallen through the cracks.

“While we can’t solve all of that today, we can do our best to bring assets together and bring agencies together to try to help those individuals who are still struggling in the community.”

The “LC United Resource Fair” has limited space. Residents are being asked to call 211, the United Way-funded program that serves as a resource information hub, to schedule an appointment for the fair.

The agencies that will participate in the resources fairs are the city, United Way of SWLA, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the SWLA Law Center, Catholic Charities, Calcasieu Council on Aging, The Salvation Army and Families Helping Families of Southwest Louisiana.

Dates

Nov. 5 and 6, Donald Ray Stevens Community Center, 1619 Cessford St.

Nov.  12 and 13, Bellard Recreation Center, 2808 Hillcrest Dr.

Nove.  19 and 20, Henry Heights Recreation Center, 801 East School St.