Volunteer Groups working on the MS Gulf Coast

[merh]

Thanks to intheflow, who is actively working with volunteer groups here on the MS Gulf Coast, below is a list of volunteer groups that one can contact if they are interested in helping along the MS Gulf Coast.

The two secular groups:

Hands On Network (intheflow works and lives with this group): http://www.handsonnetwork.org/hurricane-relief /
They are based in Biloxi, but are setting up camps in Bay St. Louis and New Orleans. Hands On houses and feed volunteers, does mold removal, house gutting, some rebuilding, community clean-up, resource referrals, some tutoring, and some work with the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi. On can volunteer directly with the Humane Society -- (http://hssm.org/help/volunteer / ), but they can't house humans.

Grassroots Volunteer Network: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/vol/130896274.html
According to intheflow, Hands On has done some work with these folks and it wasn't a bad experience. Other than that, she doesn't know who they are or what they do. Probably best to call the contact listed at the link to find out more. The link says New Orleans, but the contact listed says she works exclusively in Mississippi.

The mainline church groups that are doing great stuff on the MS Coast:

Lutheran/Episcopal Disaster Relief (3 locations here on the MS coast):
Christus Victor Lutheran, Ocean Springs: http://www.christusvictordisasterresponse.org /
Bethel Lutheran, Biloxi: http://www.lutheransonline.com/servlet/lo_ProcServ/dbpage=page&GID=01287001361031501924868706&PG=01287001361031501925283289
Camp Coast Care, Long Beach: http://www.campcoastcare.com /

United Methodist Committee of Relief (all over the coast): http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005/#ka

Presbyterian Disaster Relief (all over the coast): http://www.pcusa.org/katrina/index.htm

All the other churches involved in rebuilding projects seem to be pretty evangelical. Local Catholic churches are doing a lot, but it's mostly the nuns who were pretty radical and lefty before the storm, and they don't have capability to house or feed volunteers as far as I know.


One may want to contact the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Services. It is a state agency, and intheflow has worked pretty closely with some of them and according to her the "folks I know are wicked cool." http://www.mcvs.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=109&Itemid=116

[merh]

1. Plaid Adder's thread with more links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x695253

[merh]

2. To donate to Habitat

To donate to Habitat

Send a donation to your local Habitat office and indicate Katrina Fund on the check. If you don't have a local office, go to www.habitat.org

Also, Habitat put together a video so we don't forget those affected by Katrina

http://www.habitat.org/videogallery /