Red Cross opens shelter for victims

To escape Hurricane Katrina, Darwin and Belinda Chatman and their family drove north from Luling, La., Sunday evening in two cars -- the Chatmans, their three children and Belinda's parents. They checked into the Victorian Inn in Cape Girardeau, hoping to return home soon. That won't happen.

Instead they moved into a Red Cross emergency shelter that opened Thursday in Benton, Mo. Set up in a campground owned by the Charleston Baptist Association 3 miles from Interstate 55, the camp will be able to provide meals and shelter for up to 80 refugees.

Contact with family members Wednesday evening settled some fears for them. Two sisters and their children had survived. Other fears were realized -- a tree fell on the Chatmans' house, and several trees severely damaged Belinda's parents' home nearby.

After hearing that news, Belinda's father, James Espay, drove home in an attempt to salvage family mementos and property.

"We were told that we couldn't live there," Darwin Chatman said.

"My greatest loss would be my mother-in-law and father-in-law because they have nowhere to go," he said with tears in his eyes.

Dick Smith, director of missions for the church association, quickly offered the campground when the Red Cross asked if they had a housing facility near I-55.

"We want to do everything we can to help the people who have been displaced by the hurricane," he said. The association includes 34 churches from Scott, Mississippi and New Madrid counties. Individuals and churches provided bedding, towels, toiletries and toys.

The Scott County Sheriff's Department laundered some of the bedding. A hospital offered to sponsor a dinner. And the electric company unexpectedly turned the meter off, Thurman said.

A tip from a hotel staff member lead Belinda Chatman to contact the American Red Cross about the camp. "We are ready and willing to take these people in for long term," said Kristi Thurman, director of emergency for the Red Cross. Reports have indicated it will be at least 12 weeks before people can move back to the Gulf Coast.

The Chatmans were the first to move into the camp early Thursday afternoon.

"It makes me feel great that people will help us, because we don't have anywhere to go," said D.J. Chatman, at 13 Darwin and Belinda's oldest son.

Superintendent Don Moore of the Kelly School District visited the camp to inform the Red Cross about how the children can enroll in the Kelly School District. The Chatmans' other children are 6-year-old Hunter, a boy, and Rileigh, a 3-year-old girl.

"We're going to try to make it easy on them and try to enroll them right where they are," he said. He will deliver enrollment forms and offered to take the families on a tour through the school buildings.

Under guidelines from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, children who are refugees from the hurricane qualify as homeless children, making them eligible for immediate enrollment even when required documents are unavailable.

jmetelski@semissourian.com