This morning the Texas Tribune is running two articles (here and here) about how long it may take for federal resources to reach Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey and how that lag may affect poverty, homelessness, and well-being throughout the state.
The sites below include information about overcoming financial set-backs and management after a disaster. One of the nice things about each of the resources listed below is that information is provided in short, topic-specific chunks so it is easy to find and quickly read or watch the info you are most interested in. Many resources are provided in both English and Spanish.
My favorite resources for individuals and families:
- Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times at eXtension has a number of very short disaster-related financial management publications in both English and Spanish. Examples of resources here include Deciding Which Bills to Pay First, Keeping a Roof Overhead, and Stretching Your Food Dollar, and Doing Things Together as a Family for Less, just to name a few.
- Managing Your Personal Finances in Tough Times from the University of Wisconsin Extension provides tips and templates for budgeting, decreasing expenses, increasing income, and keeping up with credit card debt.
Other good resources for
- If you prefer video, the Financial Recovery After Disaster Video Series developed by University of Minnesota Extension and the North Dakota State University Extension Service provides information on understanding your current financial situation and making good decisions. These are available on YouTube.
- The Texas Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) (http://texashelp.tamu.edu/) provides resources on post-disaster money management and financial considerations in both English and Spanish.
- Coping with Stress from the University of Minnesota Extension provides brief information on a variety of topics related to grief and stress following a disaster.
For community service providers and Extension agents:
The Recovering After a Disaster Using The Family Financial Toolkit at the eXtension site provides curriculum materials, handouts, and videos to support you in helping clients assess their financial situation and access appropriate resources. These materials are related to the video series above.
AgriLife stock photo.