Katrina - things to know
This is the fourth in a series of public entries I'm making about efforts related to Katrina relief and recovery that may not be getting the attention of some of the big national stories. If you're interested in previous entries, all of these are tagged "Katrina relief efforts."
In my first entry I talked a little bit about community foundations - foundations created by and for local communities and how they are really the organizations that will be there for the long run. One of the strongest Louisiana community foundations, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, has created a terrific portal for information on how local groups are responding to local needs. I strongly encourage y'all to take a look at Foundations for Recovery.
In line with my subject heading, I also encourage you to learn more about the profile of the folks who suffered the greatest losses in the flooding of New Orleans. The Urban Institute has developed an important and easy to read fact sheet Katrina: Demographics of a Disaster which lets you see, in a couple of pages, exactly how the issues of race and poverty played into who was left behind, and whose voices most need to be heard as recovery efforts move forward.
Finally, I want to note that on Friday I was part of a national conference call of charities, foundations and other responding agencies about how the recovery efforts should (and shouldn't) play out in the months and years to come. The clear message from the folks on the ground - and you could hear weariness in every syllable they spoke - is that this is worse than you can even imagine. But, the hope is in the incredible generosity of spirit and resources that have been offered and that they are counting on to continue. In many of the smaller counties and parrishes, there was no local Red Cross presence or help, and to a person, the leaders of the call praised the faith community for the myriad ways that churches, temples, synagogues and other houses of worship had opened their doors, their coffers and their homes to help. It was a bright moment in an othewise very somber and sobering call. There is so much work to do, but there is real hope that at least some folks out there have the will and resolve to make it happen.
Peace,
Viv
In my first entry I talked a little bit about community foundations - foundations created by and for local communities and how they are really the organizations that will be there for the long run. One of the strongest Louisiana community foundations, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, has created a terrific portal for information on how local groups are responding to local needs. I strongly encourage y'all to take a look at Foundations for Recovery.
In line with my subject heading, I also encourage you to learn more about the profile of the folks who suffered the greatest losses in the flooding of New Orleans. The Urban Institute has developed an important and easy to read fact sheet Katrina: Demographics of a Disaster which lets you see, in a couple of pages, exactly how the issues of race and poverty played into who was left behind, and whose voices most need to be heard as recovery efforts move forward.
Finally, I want to note that on Friday I was part of a national conference call of charities, foundations and other responding agencies about how the recovery efforts should (and shouldn't) play out in the months and years to come. The clear message from the folks on the ground - and you could hear weariness in every syllable they spoke - is that this is worse than you can even imagine. But, the hope is in the incredible generosity of spirit and resources that have been offered and that they are counting on to continue. In many of the smaller counties and parrishes, there was no local Red Cross presence or help, and to a person, the leaders of the call praised the faith community for the myriad ways that churches, temples, synagogues and other houses of worship had opened their doors, their coffers and their homes to help. It was a bright moment in an othewise very somber and sobering call. There is so much work to do, but there is real hope that at least some folks out there have the will and resolve to make it happen.
Peace,
Viv