15 Jul Disaster preparedness expo planned for senior citizens

Posted at July 15, 2011 in Press Release by

Mississippi Center for Justice is partnering with state agencies, disaster relief organizations, mental health professionals and others to host a Disaster Preparedness Exposition for the public, with a particular emphasis on senior citizens. The Expo will be held Tuesday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the UMC Conference Center at the Jackson Medical Mall located at 350 Woodrow Wilson Drive.

The free Expo is designed to provide senior citizens with the resources necessary to formulate a personalized disaster preparedness plan. Nonprofit and state agency representatives will be available to speak one-on-one with attendees and provide materials to assist with the planning process.

“From hurricanes to tornadoes, we know we cannot always control what happens around us, but we can be better prepared so that the recovery from such disasters is eased,” said Paheadra Robinson, director of the Mississippi Center for Justice’s consumer protection division. “There are documents and other materials that a person must have in order to access insurance claims and other services available in the aftermath of a disaster. We hope this Expo will help seniors be better prepared to access everything available to them.”

An attorney will be on site to review insurance policies and answer questions, so attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their policies. Representatives from the Consumer Protection Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s office, Social Security Administration, Mississippi Department of Transportation, as well as numerous other statewide and local agencies and organizations, will be on-hand to answer questions and meet with attendees. Mississippi Center for Justice attorneys and national consumer protection specialists will also be speaking about the dangers of payday loans and other predatory lending practices targeted at disaster victims.

Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information, please contact the Mississippi Center for Justice at 601-352-2269.