40 Ways in 40 Days: Remembering the Survivors of Katrina (Day 13)

[Plaid Adder]

Day 13, Ways 12 & 13

I skipped yesterday, so today is a double. For a belated Put Your Works Where Your Faith Is Friday, I bring you the Metropolitan Community Church's Katrina Center.

The MCC is a church founded by and for GBLT Christians. I have never had much truck with the MCC because they are more in the evangelical line than what I'm used to, but you can read the history here. It was founded in 1968 by a guy named Troy Perry who had been a Pentecostal minister before being defrocked over his sexual orientation. Their statement of faith reflects those origins, but of course leaves out the part about gay people being irrevocably consigned to hell. Anyhow, they have a Katrina disaster relief fund which is still active, and they are still sending people to New Orleans to help out. Online donations are temporarily disabled due to a software upgrade on the site but you can call in a credit card donation or mail a check.

Liza's relationship with the Catholic Church has gotten to the point where she feels the need to see other people, and she has lately been checking out the Episcopalians. Her family understands, though her mother said, resignedly, "Of course there's not the same commitment to serving the poor." Well, I thought, let's see what the Frozen Chosen (Clinton's joke, not mine) are up to Katrinawise. Through the Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (those people got a lotta PEP) I found the

Episcopalian Relief & Development Hurricane Response Center

where I learn that

"Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) was recently awarded funds from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to begin integrated case management services assisting Hurricane Katrina survivors in four states. ERD has partnered with Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) on the Katrina Renewal Program, which is targeting the most vulnerable hurricane survivors—children, the elderly, immigrant populations, racially and economically marginalized communities, and the mentally and physically disabled—who are unable to access critical services. The program will assess their needs and will provide counseling and referrals to appropriate services."

Some of the funding for this joint venture comes through FEMA, which I think is interesting. Maybe that's the new federal approach to disasters: fuck up, then pay churches to help the people you abandoned. It would make a certain amount of sense when you think about who's in charge. Anyway, their Katrina recovery program is now into Phase II, Assessment and Clean-up, which involves the same kind of stuff all the other churches I posted about are doing: food and supply distribution, clean up, medical care. Soon they will be moving on to Phase III, Recovery, and they plan a long-term development effort which will last another 4 years, so they're still taking donations.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[Plaid Adder]

1. Don't forget to KICK for the MCC and the Frozen Chosen! n/t

[uppityperson]

2. and a kick, thanks for keeping on doing these PA, hope you're better

[Plaid Adder]

3. thanks uppityperson. I am over the stomach thingy.

It was not pretty, but it is now in the past. Yecch. Makes you appreciate food all the more, though.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[UrbScotty]

4. K&R (nt)

[Plaid Adder]

5. twice the kicks for twice the links n/t

[intheflow]

6. Kick for the beautiful resource you're creating, PA.

:hug: from the Mississippi Coast!

[Tsiyu]

7. I was raised a little 'Piscopal icicle

but I'd kick this anyway.

:kick:

[merh]

8. A link to other volunteer agencies providing assistance to the Gulf Coast

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=360&topic_id=471&mesg_id=471

Thanks Plaid Adder, thank you for all of your efforts in keeping the Katrina disaster on the front burner. :hug:

[Kurovski]

9. K&R. (nt)

[Kurovski]

10. Brunch kick.(nt)