Project Recovery:  About Us
   

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A Warm Welcome!
    

The Project Recovery outreach team would like to welcome you to our website. We have been providing outreach services to those impacted by the August 2007 floods since last September. Over the winter we have met with individuals, families and community groups that survived the powerful flooding that swept throughout southern Wisconsin.

To the casual observer the floods came and went, and it may seem that things returned to normal without much struggle. Through our outreach efforts we have heard a different story. The flood left it’s mark and many continue to struggle with the after effects. While the disaster itself was terrifying and traumatic for many survivors, it was just the beginning of a long series of problems. Many continue to cope with constant reminders of the floods, economic hardships and losses that will require further assistance.

A quote taken from Hidden Wounds, Hidden Healing of Disaster written by Lennis G. Echterling, Ph.D of James Madison University sums up one survivor’s experience years after a flood: 

“…I would like to put it behind me, but I can't....We are still finding mud lodged in the cracks in the walls and in the joints of the furniture. We still have mud stains in the pots, pans, and in the Tupperware. We've scrubbed and cleaned but the stains will not come out....A couple of years ago, we found that some of the air ducts still had mud caked in them....Even our birth certificates and the family documents have mud stains on them.” 

The hidden mud found throughout homes and belongings serves as a powerful metaphor for the hidden emotional wounds that remain out of sight. We believe that the sharing of one’s experience, strength and hope is what lies at the core of community recovery. As spring approaches and water runs again there will be further challenges for many. Project Recovery will be available to offer support and connect survivors with assistance and resources as they continue the recovery process.
 

Who We Are...

 
Project Recovery is a community based outreach program designed to respond to the emotional needs of the 2007 Wisconsin flood survivors.  The project is a service made possible through partnerships between Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Inc., the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Center for Mental Health Services, the WI Dept. of Health & Family Services, and the Wisconsin Farm Center.
 
Trained community listeners are available to help people better understand their current situation and reactions, assist in the review of their options, provide emotional support and encourage linkage with other resources and recovery organizations.
 
Representatives from the project are also available to speak to churches, civic organizations, school personnel and other groups about the long-term recovery process.  These presentations cover the different phases that individuals, families and communities go through in the aftermath of a natural disaster.  Having an understanding of this process allows communities to continue to assist and encourage one another.

The project will continue to provide services through September 2008.
 
Areas Currently Included

There are fourteen counties that are included in this disaster declaration.  Project Recovery includes outreach in those 14 counties (La Crosse, Crawford, Vernon, Richland, Grant, Iowa, Green, Sauk, Columbia, Dane, Rock, Jefferson, Kenosha, Racine).
 

   
(Click on image to see larger version of area map)
 

 
 
   

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