Recommendations for Where to Give Donations
for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina

This report has two purposes. The first is to summarize the long term issues that concern redevelopment and resettlement of people. The second is to identify organizations that are committed to grassroots development in the hurricane affected areas of Mississippi and Louisiana. While most of us have been deeply disturbed by the images on the news of how widespread the devastation has been in New Orleans and coastal areas of MS, there are two levels of need that will be required to rebuild the region and to restore people to homes and jobs in the region: relief in the short term and redevelopment assistance in the long term. Everyone who lost their homes and jobs in the affected areas deserves our help and support. This set of recommendations emphasizes organizations that are serving low income and African American residents in both rural and urban areas.

There is a very real concern as noted in the press that there will be efforts to prevent or discourage poor Black residents from returning to New Orleans. There was such an attempt in Tarboro NC after the flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd, according to Joyce Dickens of Rocky Mount Edgecomb CDC. This is the reason that this report focuses on identifying resources to specifically support the African American communities affected by the hurricane. An article titled "Old-Line Families Escape Worst of Flood And Plot the Future; Mr. O'Dwyer, at His Mansion, Enjoys Highball With Ice; Meeting With the Mayor" published by the Dow Jones & Company, Inc. reported that the old-line whites would like to use their resources to keep the poor Blacks out of a rebuilt New Orleans.

Mercy Corps outlines the stages of support that will be required to rebuild the affected communities on their website. "In our agency's experience, there are three overlapping stages of disaster response. During the first stage, governments and humanitarian organizations rush to provide survivors with basic needs such as food, water and temporary shelter. In the second stage, the effort targets emerging public health concerns and problems. The third stage seeks to help families displaced by the disaster return to their communities, rebuild and restore local economies." (http://www.mercycorps.org/index.php?sections_id=4&subsections_id=114&items_id=843).

According to information provided by Knowledgeplex (https://webmail.snhu.edu/exchange/cclamp/Inbox/KnowledgePlex%20Week%20in%20Review-2.EML/#annotation113361), the website of Fannie Mae Foundation, it is estimated that 200,000 homes are structurally damaged by the floods in New Orleans. It is estimated that there are 20,000 people who were in public housing that will need to be placed into other public housing outside of New Orleans. It is projected that the rebuilding will take years and billions of dollars. There are two types of aid that will be needed. There is the immediate need to support people in this transition while they are homeless and until they are able to be placed in new homes and jobs. The organizations which can provide this support are at the top of the list.

The Boston Globe (9/9/05) reported that speculators are already looking for opportunities to buy up properties from families who can’t afford to rebuild or who are fearful of returning. This is the basis of the concerns about how the misfortunes of New Orleans black community may be exploited.

Short term relief organizations:

• NAACP http://www.naacp.org/events/katrina/katrina_volunteer.html

• Mississippi Primary Health Care Association (http://www.mphca.com/index.html) provides care to those underserved by the medical establishment and has a network of community health centers.

• Southern Mutual Help Association Rural Relief Fund http://southernmutualhelp.org/RuralRecoveryFund.cfm
  
  
• Louisiana Environmental Action Network

• American Friends Service Committee

• Mercy Corps

• Emergency Relief: Mercy Corps will provide critical financial, technical and material aid support to survivors of the disaster. This includes provision of shelter, food, water, sanitation and health care to displaced populations. Emergency relief will be provided in coordination with the efforts of other relief organizations.
• Community Mobilization: Mercy Corps believes that the participation of local communities in their own recovery and rebuilding process is critical for the long term success and sustainability of a program. This is also critical in overcoming psychosocial trauma and beginning to rebuild the bonds of community. Mercy Corps will work with local groups to support their own rebuilding and recovery process in geographic areas where this is possible.
• Psychosocial Programs: The effect of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina can have a lasting traumatic impact on the survivors, especially children. Children in particular are vulnerable to trauma, as it is more difficult for them to make sense of what happened. Mercy Corps will support psychosocial programs that help the survivors overcome their trauma, with a special emphasis on children. We will work with schools, daycare centers, children's service agencies and other local groups to provide appropriate psychosocial support to children. We will focus on activities that restore healthy activities and routines for children, as well as ways to engage the children themselves in the planning and implementation of programs.
• Economic Recovery: Mercy Corps will work with local groups to help poor families rebuild their livelihoods. These programs will include helping people rebuild their businesses, create employment and earn income. The quicker families can get back on their feet economically and become independent, the quicker their communities will get back to normal.

Rebuilding and recovery will take months. The needs are immense. Please make a generous donation to help hurricane survivors move past our country's worst disaster ever.

http://www.mercycorps.org/index.php?sections_id=4&subsections_id=114&items_id=843

Long Term Recovery Aid Providers:

• Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund at the Twenty-First Century Foundation

• ACORN Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding Fund

• Cooperative Development Fund

• National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (http://www.natfed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1) has member credit unions in New Orleans that were affected. These credit unions are serving the "unbanked" and poorest neighborhoods. They will need our help to reopen their doors in New Orleans and elsewhere in the Gulf coast.

• Enterprise Corporation of the Delta http://www.ecd.org

• AJAMM Ministries/Freedom, Inc. http://www.ajammministries.com

Prepared by Christina A. Clamp (SNHU) and Charles Knight (Commonwealth Institute)