Local Support for Katrina Victims and Communities Needed

The National Rural Funders Collaborative expresses its condolences to the families in Louisiana and Mississippi who have lost family members and property due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  Our hearts go out to those who now endure unimaginable grief, inhumane circumstances of survival and endurance, and the injustice of stereotyping as this natural disaster inevitably issues into acts of self-preservation.   We hope and pray that decisive steps will quickly be taken to minimize further loss of life and to evacuate, feed, cloth and house the tens of thousands who still wait to be evacuated in the region.    

Knowing as we do that long after the emergency relief efforts of FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army and others are finished, the long and grueling tasks of rebuilding lives, communities and a sense of hope for the shattered communities of Louisiana and Mississippi will fall to those individuals and institutions who often toil for decades without recognition and with inadequate resources to go about their work:  grassroots leaders and organizations, community development corporations, community development financial institutions and the like. 

In recognition and support of the ongoing efforts and the immeasurable work ahead for these community leaders and institutions, we offer the following community-based, community-led partners who are responding to this disaster as worthy of your prayers, voluntary participation and contributions as they lend their expertise and compassion in the rebuilding of communities in the Mississippi Delta:

Enterprise Corporation of the Delta/Hope Community Credit Union

Enterprise Corporation of the Delta/ Hope Community Credit Union (ECD/HOPE), based in Jackson, MS, has set up the "Enterprise Corporation of the Delta -- Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund" to support immediate and long-term storm recovery efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Initially, donated funds will be routed to community partners who are providing food, clothing and shelter for those in Louisiana and Mississippi who were displaced by the storm.

As these basic needs lessen, your funds will support payment deferrals, provide down payment assistance, establish loss reserves, and otherwise extend a bridge to those recovering from this tragedy. In this role, ECD/HOPE will build on twelve years of experience in strengthening distressed areas to help residents rebuild their lives, homes, businesses and communities.

The Enterprise Corporation of the Delta is a not-for-profit community development financial institution that builds assets, strengthens lives and improves the quality of life in distressed Mid South communities. Contributions to the ECD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund are tax deductible.

Checks and contributions should be sent to:

ECD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund
P.O. Box 22886
Jackson, MS 39225-2886

For more information, please go to:  http://www.ecd.org/ or call 601-944-4177

Southern Mutual Help Association

Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA) helps people develop strong, healthy, prosperous rural communities in Louisiana. Its special focus is with distressed rural communities whose livelihoods are interdependent with our land and waters. We work primarily with agricultural and pervasively poor communities, women and people of color. SMHA helps build rural communities through people's growth in their own empowerment and the just management of resources.

Louisiana is in the midst of a catastrophe. Not only is New Orleans devastated but so are so many of the surrounding rural communities. Fishers and family farmers already under the stress of international trade agreements have now lost homes and the very means of creating a livelihood to recover. Many rural small businesses are destroyed. The crops in many areas are gone — cane, citrus, soybeans. The fisheries are destroyed in large areas of Louisiana's coast. This is a crisis for small farmers, farm workers and fisher families.

SMHA knows from the lengthy recovery from hurricane Andrew in August of 1992 that rural areas are last and receive the least. Focus will understandably be on urban areas such as New Orleans, on oil and gas installations, on search, rescue and the basics of life like water, food, shelter, medical treatment.  Many agencies and generous souls will be seeing to those needs.

SMHA is still assessing the situation of directly impacted rural communities and families. It is already known that the Acadiana region around Lafayette will have approximately 150,000 refugees looking first for where to be for the time away from their homes (likely to be lengthy), and secondly how to possibly recover and rebuild their future.

SMHA has created a special Rural Recovery Fund that will support these efforts. Contributions and checks should be sent to (credit cards are accepted over the web):

"SMHA - Rural Recovery Fund"
Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc.
3602 Old Jeanerette Rd.
New Iberia, LA 70563

For more information, go to:  http://southernmutualhelp.org/RuralRecoveryFund.cfm or call 337-367-3277