Katrina victims also may be more sympathetic than others, said Glenn Bailey, executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center. "I think there's a perception that when you're responding to folks who have had a natural disaster occur, that those are innocent victims," Bailey said. "When we deal with people in poverty, I think that very many people have a suspicion that, 'Gee, it's sort of their fault, isn't it?' "

With deadlines for federal budget decisions looming, and massive cuts to social services expected, Katrina leaves a "small window of opportunity" to call on lawmakers for a change, said Judi Hilman, fiscal and policy analyst for Utah Issues.

It is altogether reasonable to insist on no cuts to social programs, Hilman said, encouraging advocates to fight for no new tax cuts and a reversal of previous ones.

Resources are not a problem, said Pastor France Davis of the Calvary Baptist Church. The money, he said, is available.

"I think we have told ourselves, however, to ignore certain people, certain groups, certain categories of life," Pastor Davis said. "It's not that there isn't enough, it's that we've told ourselves to put it in different places."

In working with various federal government officials over the past several weeks, Atkinson said she was struck by the attitude she observed. "They do not understand what our friends who are living in poverty are going through on a daily basis and, therefore, do not have empathy," she said. "And I think it's up to us to educate them at this point."