Hurrican Katrina Resources & Help

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? The first and best place is Episcopal Relief and Development – http://www.er-d.org. This website offers lots of ways to donate money, relief items, or housing.

Information From ERD Web Site

See Episcopal Relief and Development [ERD] Collaboration Efforts at www.er-d.org .

"While we understand your compassion and concern, please do not go to disaster areas right away. Volunteers should be entirely self-sufficient to avoid placing additional strain on already over-stressed dioceses. Volunteers must be able to provide their own transportation, have a confirmed place to stay, and supply their own food and water.

If you'd like to go to the Gulf Coast region, please send us an email with the following information:

Your full name
Your contact information (address, phone number, email)
Your disaster response qualifications and interests
Your assurance that you can be self-sufficient

Episcopal Migration Ministries of Episcopal Relief and Development is coordinating housing for victims throughout the gulf coast area. If you or your congregation can host a family or an individual displaced by the hurricane, please sign up by sending your name, address, phone number, and email to EMM@episcopalchurch.org or call 800-334-7626, extension 6057.

http://www.dioms.org is the website for the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Needs are posted daily on their web site. Their email address is housing@dioms.org

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana is in temporary quarters in St. James Church in Baton Rouge . Their phone number is 225-387-5141, and their address is PO Box 126 Baton Rouge , LA 70821-0126 . They also have a website at http://www.connectedola.org/

The Diocese of the Central Gulf coast web site is: http://www.diocgc.org/ They also have a Katrina relief page.

The Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska is coordinating Katrina relief for faith communities. They are well organized and are the designated religious contact group for FEMA, Red Cross and the State of Nebraska. Bottom line… The evacuee's in Omaha are being taken care of in the short term, but long term support from congregations are needed. If Episcopal parishes in Nebraska want to help in the most effective way in Nebraska , then Interchurch Ministries folks are the ones to contact. Their program is called “Operation Koinonia” Hosts/Sponsors will provide:

Housing (separate space preferred, people offering to share their home is strongly discouraged)

Transportation
Food
Clothing
Work Opportunities (paid or unpaid)
School
Advocacy
Emotional, mental, spiritual support


Contact info for Interchurch Ministries:

215 Centennial Mall South Suite 411
Lincoln , NE 68508
(402) 476-3391
(402) 476-9310 (fax)
im50427@alltel.net

Another way to make connections to help with Katrina relief is to call “211” which will add you to a volunteer response database. This program is coordinated by the United Way.