40 Ways in 40 Days: Remembering the Survivors of Katrina (Day 33)

[Plaid Adder]

Day 33, Way 33

Today I thought to myself, "What about Katrina survivors with disabilities?" Through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which has disbursed $100,000 in grants to Louisiana organizations that help people with disabilities, and Louisana Disability Information Resources, I found a couple options:

Families Helping Families of Louisiana describes itself as "a group of families who, through our own experiences, are committed to reaching out to other families who have members with special needs and self-advocates." They have ten Resource Centers in various locations, including one in the Greater New Orleans area which was displaced by Katrina but on its way to re-establishing itself in a new building. The northeastern Louisiana FHF center was just granted $25,000 by the Christopher Reeve foundation because:

"Our region of the state has quickly become a safe haven for those southern residents fleeing the wrath of current hurricanes. Individuals with disabilities and their families have been our most vulnerable victims. No other non-profit in our region serves this populace. FHF partners with state disability agencies to extend a helping hand that crosses the boundaries of what these state agencies are able to do. This project will enable us to provide the basic necessities to individuals with disabilities and their families. These necessities include basic household items, furnishings, (especially beds), toiletry items, paper goods, and uniforms/school supplies for the children - basically everything they need to leave the shelter and build a home."

If you'd like to pitch in, you can donate to Families Helping Families of Northeast Louisiana here. Or, if advocacy is more your thing, you can check out Louisiana Citizens for Action Now, a political action group dedicated to making it easier for people with disabilities to live at home.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[Kurovski]

1. Kicked! Recommended! No Text!

[egadsbrain]

2. done, done, done! nm

[acmejack]

3. KnR

[Traveling_Home]

4. What about

the Independent Living Centers in LA. They would seem to be well focused across disability groups. Are any of them back up and running?

T

[uppityperson]

5. what about a kick

thanks again, PA

[LisaLynne]

6. K&R nt

[egadsbrain]

7. kick nt

[EFerrari]

8. Kick

[funkybutt]

9. Thank you PD

It ain't easy bein' in the Big Easy these days...and it won't be for a long time. But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Thanks for what you're doing here, it really means a lot to us down here to know that not everyone has forgotten us. Hoping to be back in our home by June 15.

[Kurovski]

10. Kick! (nt)

[Kurovski]

11. Good Night kick.

And so, good night, DU.

[Kurovski]

12. SECOND good night kick.

Why is it so hard to leave DU?

[egadsbrain]

13. Saturday morning kick...

:kick:

[Kurovski]

14. Kick(nt)

[Kurovski]

15. Kick(nt)

[egadsbrain]

16. kick n/t

[Kurovski]

17. Kick(nt)