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Where to give Here are some groups helping the New Orleans survivors that deserve your support By Camille T. TaiaraIf you're concerned that the billions of dollars in public funds and private donations generated in response to Hurricane Katrina will actually be used as they were meant to be – to aid those who were hardest hit – then we've got good news for you. There are plenty of ways you can make sure your help counts. Foremost among them is the People's Hurricane Fund set up by Community Labor United, an established coalition of progressive, grassroots organizations representing New Orleans's low-income communities of color. "We will not stand idly by while this disaster is used as an opportunity to replace our homes with newly built mansions and condos in a gentrified New Orleans," read a statement issued by CLU Sept. 5 announcing the new fund, which it said is to be "directed and administered by New Orleanian evacuees" and dedicated to overseeing just how FEMA and the Red Cross use the monies being collected on their behalf. To contribute, send checks earmarked (in the memo line) for the "People's Hurricane Fund" to: Vanguard Public Foundation 383 Rhode Island St., Suite 301 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 487-2111 or www.qecr.org (for online donations) ACORN, the nation's largest economic justice organization, was founded in New Orleans and lost its national headquarters to Katrina. It has since been busy helping locate, place, and get badly needed services for the 9,000 members it had in the city, as well as organizing demonstrations to demand a better response from the feds. It will also be working to rebuild its office and to ensure that low- and moderate-income residents receive the aid they need to rebuild their lives. Donations should be earmarked for the "Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding Fund": ACORN Institute Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding Fund 739 8th Street SE Washington, DC 20003 www.acorn.org ACORN's San Francisco branch is looking for volunteers to help conduct outreach to Bay Area residents who've taken in, or are otherwise helping support, family members impacted by the hurricane. It is also looking to send volunteers to the areas surrounding New Orleans and serving evacuees: 1-866-587-9079. Critical Resistance, possibly the nation's foremost organization dedicated to opposing the expansion of the prison industrial complex, lost its vital Southern Regional Office when Katrina hit New Orleans. Like ACORN, it's been busy helping its members communicate with each other and recoup, and is struggling to rebuild. They're looking for donations, volunteers, office equipment, and supplies (computers, printers, a copier, file cabinets), and asking people to host house parties to help raise funds. Write "New Orleans" on the memo line if sending a check. Critical Resistance/Justice Now 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504 Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 444-0484 or crnational@criticalresistance.org www.criticalresistance.org The Tides Foundation has a strong record of getting aid to the victims of natural disasters worldwide, in a direct, equitable, and timely manner, and has reactivated its Rapid Response Fund – first launched in 1998 in response to Hurricane Mitch in Central America – to aid Katrina victims in the Gulf. Tides Foundation The Presidio PO Box 29903 San Francisco, CA 94129 (415) 561-6400 www.tidesfoundation.org/RR_0905.cfm California Nurses Association is sending large groups of RNs directly to hospitals and shelters in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and is accepting donations to pay for their travel expenses and medical supplies. California Nurses Foundation Disaster Relief Fund Attention: CAN 2000 Franklin Street Oakland, CA 94612 1-888-397-0346 www.calnurses.org In 1969, the American Friends Service Committee led a vigorous campaign in response to shortcomings and discrepancies in aid to poorer victims of Hurricane Camille, in the South. Known for acting quickly in times of need and serving those most in need, AFSC has likewise launched an Emergency Response Team to coordinate its work in the regions affected by Katrina and surrounding areas receiving the brunt of the hurricane's refugees. "AFSC's mid- and longer-term response plans focus on vulnerable populations – the poor and immigrant communities who have borne the brunt of the hurricane's wrath," reads a statement on its Web site. "In the wake of Katrina, we will assist communities that are being underserved and we will address the larger systemic issues that contributed to this tragedy." AFSC Development 1501 Cherry St. Philadelphia, PA 19102 1-888-588-2372 www.afsc.org/hurricane Immigrants are among the most vulnerable victims of Hurricane Katrina. Not only are they ineligible for federal aid, but many of those who are undocumented are not seeking the help they need for fear of being deported. Ironically, many of them are Hondurans who migrated to the region in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. The Honduran Consulate estimates that there were 150,000 Hondurans in Louisiana when it was hit by Katrina. Both the Honduran and Mexican consulates are accepting donations to help their nationals recover from the catastrophe. If sending a contribution, make sure you let them know it's for Katrina victims. Embassy of Honduras 3007 Tilden Street, NW, Suite 4-M Washington, DC 20008 1-800-261-4070 Mexican Consulate 2600 Apple Valley Road Atlanta, GA 30319 (404) 625-1706 www.consulmexatlanta.org or: Mexican Consulate 4506 Caroline Street Houston, TX (713) 778-6112 www.sre.gob.mx/houston The Sparkplug Foundation, which provides grants for grassroots organizing projects, has compiled a list of dozens of community-based groups representing the underprivileged in the Gulf area that could use your help. Although the Bay Guardian has not checked out each and every one of the more than 40 groups included, the directory nonetheless comes highly recommended by progressives in the area and includes contact information for all the organizations listed. It can be found at katrina.mayfirst.org. |
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