Help repair the battered coast: Making a Difference

In August of 2005, Katrina hit the Gulf Coast as a category 4 hurricane. The epicenter crossed miles of Louisiana coastal wetlands then slammed into the Mississippi coast. Sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour blew for hours and the tidal surge at the epicenter crested at about 28 feet. All waterways in this extensive lowland area rose quickly and dramatically. This water, salt and fresh, mixed with mud, sand and sewage, then stirred together by the howling wind, left mile after mile of devastation, not only along the Gulf Coast beaches but extending well inland.

With the television and many websites recording this incredible devastation, many of us not physically touched by this hurricane immediately wanted to help in some meaningful way. I found my niche by traveling to the Mississippi coastal area with a humanitarian relief group. The Federation covered my salary and although it was an intensely personal experience, I felt I was making a contribution from all of us.

I spent a week each in both January and February of 2006 working with a relief facility called Camp Coast Care. The Camp is located on the border between Long Beach and Pass Christian, Mississippi.

In late January 5 months after Katrina hit, Camp Coast Care was still providing free food, provisions, clothing and medical assistance out of large walled tents. All provisions were either donated directly or purchased with donated cash and cash cards. Volunteers such as myself staffed all of the tents.

One rainy, windy, cold day I watched a large truckload of donated coats disappear into the hands of chilly hurricane survivors in less than 20 minutes. Such events occurred daily, allowing me to grasp the depth of the need for humanitarian assistance. During that month, we were still serving between 1,000 and 2,000 people per day on site.

When I arrived in late February, these tents had just closed. I am glad to say that the Camp is helping to open the medical clinic that existed prior to the hurricane and will assist with staffing until the clinic is fully off of the ground. Instead of just handing out food and clothing, we have now begun case management to fully assess each survivor's needs and to help them in a more complete way. (If they still just want provisions, a tent camp complete with 3 meals a day, clothing, etc is still operating and is located only a few miles away directly on the beachfront.)

Daily, Camp Coast Care work crews travel off-site to homes located in the region roughly located between Waveland and Gulfport, cleaning debris (yes, STILL cleaning debris even after 6 months) gutting homes, killing the ever-present mold and making repairs. However, some work crews are actually rebuilding homes, which is a positive step. I acted as a crew chief in February and these experiences are as intense as those in in camp. You must understand that those survivors are either still paralyzed from the experience or just cannot find help.

While the politicians argue and fight over the right course to take, individuals like you and me plus the many nongovernmental groups like Camp Coast Care are directly assisting the survivors in the area. The camp organizers plan to keep the camp open for at least 3-5 more years to assist the people of this region.

Please remind your friends and neighbors that the devastation still remains and all nongovernmental centers such as Camp Coast Care are run on and always need donations. At this point in time, the Camp needs donations of cash (checks for any amount) or you can purchase cash cards of $50.00 or greater for Home Depot, Lowe's and others stores. See their web site at www.campcoastcare.com for their mailing address and more information.

We know that other ERF members have helped with relief efforts in both Mississippi and Louisiana. We invite you to share your experiences with the ERF family. We also want to post the contact information for organizations that you know are making a difference. Please email the information to me at barnes@erf.org.

We WILL give hope, we WILL give help and we WILL rebuild communities, one step at a time.

Note: ERF is considering developing a plan to assist students in the impacted area.  Your ideas and assistance are welcome. Please contact any Board member to offer your help.

Other Organizations Recommended by ERF Members:

1. University of Southern Mississippi Foundation:
   http://www.usm.edu/about/disasterrecoveryresources.html
   Click on: 1. USM FOUNDATION: GIVE TO THE HURRICANCE KATRINA RELIEF FUND.
   USM Gulf Coast can be specified as the recipient. For more information, contact Steve Lohrenz at Steven.Lohrenz@usm.edu
2. Weeks Bay Reserve Foundation: www.weeksbay.org For more information please contact Walter Ernest at wbrf@bellsouth.net
3. Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana: www.crcl.org Phone: 888-522-6278; email: coalition@crcl.org
4. Baton Rouge Area Foundation: www.braf.org/ Phone: 1-877-387-6126
5. The Salvation Army: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division: http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/ALM/ Phone: 601-969-7560