40 Ways in 40 Days: Remembering the Survivors of Katrina (Day 14)

[Plaid Adder]

Day 14, Way 14

DUer Kurovski, who has been kicking the 40 Ways threads like a champ, asked me if I was going to profile any religious organizations that weren't Christian. I thought well, why not. Lent's a specifically Christian thing, but helping people out isn't, and indeed there are plenty of non-Christian faith-based organizations raising money and working hard all year round for the Katrina survivors.

For instance, United Jewish Communities has been coordinating a Hurricane Katrina/Disaster Relief Fund which according to their website has raised more than $28 million. The money has been used to fund a variety of initiatives. Some are specifically directed toward helping support and sustain Jewish communities (if you are surprised to hear that there are Jewish communities on the Gulf Coast, the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute for Southern Jewish Life will be happy to educate you about this), and some are general relief projects like food distribution, temporary housing, gift cards for evacuees so they can buy basic staples (at Wal-Mart, alas...well, the battle won't be won in a day), etc.

Turning to the other team in the Big Three Monotheism Conference, there are a number of Muslim charities out there raising money for Katrina relief, including Islamic Relief, which has been doing food distribution and other basic relief work in cooperation with the Common Ground Collective and other local organizations. The Islamic Society of North America coordinated a student volunteer effort over the December break, though it's not clear whether they have their own Katrina fund and from the pictures it looks as if this may have been part of a larger campaign organized by Islamic Relief. Also bear in mind that with things as they are in this country at this time, any charity with "Islam" in the title is probably undergoing a continuous warrantless search by the NSA.

It's late, so I'm turning in. See you Monday.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[jus_the_facts]

1. A THANK YOU and a kick.....

....means a lot that you're bringing awareness like this...I appreciate your kindness and efforts. :hi: :loveya:

[Kurovski]

2. K&R

:blush:

Thanks, Plaid!:hi:

[Plaid Adder]

3. Kick n/t

[Kurovski]

4. One more vote needed for a trip to the greatest page.

C'mon, shake it loose! :-)

Most of us can't afford to contribute to every charity every day but we can kick and recommend at no cost! :bounce:

Another great reason for kicking is so that the people doing work in The Gulf Region can be acknowledged for all they do.

I try to take a moment each day from my busy schedule of jumping on President Knucklehead and his administration to kick Plaid Adder's daily thread. It's a swell habit to acquire! :D

[EFerrari]

5. I can't make it five, I already voted! But, I can still kick.

:kick:

[EFerrari]

6. Kick. What? Is everybody nursing a big head this morning?

:)

:kick:

[Kurovski]

10. I wish!

:evilgrin:

[VolcanoJen]

7. K&R& Thank You!

:dem:

[pitohui]

8. k & r

this thing isn't even close to being over yet

link to today's story in new orleans newspaper about plaquemines where the storm made landfall:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1142838369165910.xml

The few who have returned to Port Sulphur and surrounding communities take a macabre pride in pointing out that Katrina hit them first and hardest. The hurricane's surge, 30 feet high by some estimates, rolled right over levees that maxed out at 17 feet. It damaged or destroyed virtually every house, business, trailer and government building in lower Plaquemines and on the parish's east bank.

they tell the story of one family living in a trailer, with the 101 year old patriarch, that is so distant for services it is 2 hrs into st. bernard (not exactly up and running itself) to get food

about 1,000 of the 16,000 residents have returned to horrendous and daunting conditions

[Kurovski]

9. Thanks for the link, pitohui.

It's going to take many years, and lots of help.

More from the article:

"In New Orleans, there's a constant worry the world will forget the city's tragedy and move on to the next big story. In Plaquemines, with its out-of-the-way communities and smaller population, residents know their plight was unknown to most in the first place."

The story also expresses the fact that "many are gone for good." and will not be returning to the community.

The negligence and slowness, incompetence and outright carelessness of the Bush Government is made manifest in the Gulf Coast's plight.

[markus]

11. Another thankful kick

[Swamp Rat]

12. Thanks y'all

We still need a lot of help here in New Orleans. :(

[catrose]

13. Jewish Social Services rocks

My Katrina houseguest was a teenage Jewish boy, an online friend of my son's. I called the JCC and they referred us to Jewish Social Services. Young Peter came out of that meeting with a job interview at the Jewish school, where he was promptly hired full time (with full benefits) as an assistant teacher. He also had a list of other people who could help, like realtors and so forth. The head of Social Services called back a few weeks later to see why he hadn't contacted a realtor and to find out if there was anything else he needed. Peter had walked across the street from the school and signed an apartment lease, so he hadn't needed the realtor. Within a month, he had a job and a place to live; I think about him when stories of folks still in hotels appear in the news. Maybe if they'd had a community that cared half as much about them (or at least half the resources), they'd have their lives put back together too.

[Kurovski]

14. Kick.(nt)