AFSC Hurricane Katrina Response FAQ
What was AFSC’s immediate action?
AFSC was one of four organizations that quickly pledged $1,000,000 each to support Interfaith Ministries for Houston’s Operation Compassion, which coordinated feeding in the Houston Astrodome. Remaining funds from this initial grant will be used to help evacuees in the Houston area to find suitable housing and purchase necessities. We also contacted and have remained in touch with Friends Meetings in the affected area as well as contacts from past program work in the region.
What will AFSC do in the mid term?
On September 10, the AFSC Board authorized an additional $1,065,000 in funding to underwrite short and mid-term work. The proposal includes support for Quaker Meeting and African American organizations responding to Katrina as well as funds for AFSC offices working with evacuees. An assessment team of six will begin a three-week tour of the region the week of September 19 to see where AFSC can best assist in longer term work. A second team of two will be connecting with contacts from AFSC’s civil rights work in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. A national coordinator and up to 15 crisis responders will begin short-term operations and lay the groundwork for longer term operations.
What will AFSC do in the long term?
Rebuilding from Katrina will take years of work. Prior to having reports from the assessment teams, we assume that our work will focus on the working poor and African-American and immigrant communities. Future funds raised for Katrina relief will support this work.
AFSC will also be mounting a significant public response to the failures in social policy that have been laid bare by Katrina. Natural disasters exacerbate inequities that existed before the catastrophe. Weeks of television images of Hurricane Katrina have given Americans painful evidence of how true this is.
Is AFSC accepting volunteers to go to the Gulf?
At present, we are not coordinating volunteer responders to go into the Gulf region and we do not believe that we will be accepting applications for volunteer responders.
Is AFSC collecting hygiene kits or other materials for Katrina’s victims?
We will not be mounting a national kit campaign nor are we accepting donations of materials. Cash donations remain the most useful for the present.
I want to host evacuees, what should I do?
If you are interested in hosting evacuees, at this point we recommend that you contact groups working in your city or town or visit the comprehensive national site that has been set up by MoveOn.org.
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