Disaster Response Links

Responding to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita Disasters:
Donate online at http://erd.servicenetwork.com/Donate/Donate.asp

• Earth Day 2006 Resources
  The 2006 National Council of Churches Earth Day Sunday resource is available for download at www.nccecojustice.org/KatrinaDownload.html. This year, the resource focuses on the just rebuilding of the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So many congregations have been involved in relief and recovery efforts that we think this is a great way to affirm, honor and add to that ministry! This resource provides the background information, sermon notes, bulletin insert, and study questions to plan an Earth Day Sunday (or any day) worship service.

From the Front Lines

• Katrina Update 2005-09-13

Prayers and Litanies

• Litany in Response to a Natural Disaster
• Prayer for Those Affected by Hurricane Katrina
• A Prayer by the Rev. Canon Renée Miller
• Hymn for a Time of Hurricane Disaster
• A Prayer for Rescue and Recovery
   

Locating Loved Ones

• Red Cross Family Links - 1-877-LOVED1S
• Craig's List
• MSNBC Hurricane Recovery Resources
  A very good list of links to resources for locating loved ones.
• U.S. Government Hurricane Portal
  List of government resources
• Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
  Activated on 14265 KHz

Emergency Shelter and Housing

• Emergency Housing Database
  A project of MoveOn.org.  You can register here if are able to offer housing, such as a spare room or couch, and can check here if you are looking for housing.
• Craig's List
• ACORN
  Association of Community Organizations for Reform - Advocacy group working on both short-term and long-term housing solutions for low-income families.  The New Orleans office has been displaced as in process of setting up temporary headquarters in Baton Rouge.

Episcopal Church

• Episcopal Relief and Development
• ERD Hurricane Response Center
  Includes links to prayers
• CREDO Resources
  CREDO (Clergy Reflection, Education, Discernment Opportunity), established by Church Pension Fund, has resources for clergy and churches affected by Katrina: People and Churches in Need, where priests and churches can post what they need most; Resources Available, where you can post what you have to offer; and Contact Information, where users can post temporary e-mail addresses, phone numbers and other contact information. Responses can be posted and a dialog can begin.
• Episcopal News Service
• Episcopal News Service Special Coverage
  News and Resources from the primary responders, dioceses and congregations in the Episcopal Church.
• ENS Noticias en Español
• Letter from the Presiding Bishop
  August 31, 2005
• Episcopal Church Update September 2005
• EPPN Response Through Advocacy
• Letter from the Diocese of Louisiana
  September 1, 2005
• Letter from the Diocese of Mississippi
  August 31, 2005
• Diocese of Alabama
  9/1/2005 - Web site is updated including contacts for how to help
• Diocese of Central Gulf Coast
  9/6/2005 - Web site is now updated, with Hurricane Katrina relief information at http://www.diocgc.org/Katrina_Relief.php.
• Diocese of Louisiana
  9/2/2005 Web site is updated with a new temporary home page containing news of the disaster and links
• Diocese of Mississippi
  9/1/2005 - Web site is updated, including list of requested supplies
• Diocese of Western Louisiana
  9/2/2005 Not updated - they may not have access to their computers
• St. Patrick's Long Beach, Mississippi
  Their buildings are completely gone but they are keeping their web site going, and also keeping track of what's going on in nearby parishes.
• Trinity Baton Rouge
  News and how to help
• Episcopal Migration Ministries
  Help the Displaced through Episcopal Migration Ministries
  
  Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee advocacy and resettlement program of the Episcopal Church, is developing a plan to engage parishes and individuals to provide relocation assistance for families displaced by hurricane Katrina.
  
  If you or your congregation can extend hospitality to those in need of temporary housing and other services, please forward your contact information, including your name, address, telephone number and email to EMM@episcopalchurch.org or call 800-334-7626, extension 6057. You will be notified soon about
  how you can help.

Habitat for Humanity

• Habitat for Humanity CalPoly
• Habitat for Humanity Peninsula
• Habitat for Humanity Monterey
• Habitat for Humanity San Luis Obispo
• Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz
• Habitat for Humanity Silicon Valley
   

Red Cross/Salvation Army

• Red Cross - National Site
  Donate: 1-800-HELPNOW (1-800 435 7669) Due to call volumes, you may need to try several times.
• Find loved ones:  1-877-LOVED1S (1-877-568-3317)
• Red Cross Carmel Area
  1.831.624.6921
• Red Cross Monterey-San Benito
  1.831.424.4824 or 1.831.375.5730
• Red Cross Palo Alto
  1.650.688.0415
• Red Cross San Luis Obispo
  1.805.543.0696
• Red Cross Santa Clara Valley
  The link to their page on Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief includes information on FREE 2-day Disaster Mini-Institute boot camp, a training offered in response to the request that ARC dispatch 125 emergency volunteers per day to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.  September 2005 classes are full but they are taking names for waiting lists.  You can also call their hotline at 1.408.577.1000.
• Salvation Army - USA
  Donate:  1-800-SAL-ARMY
  Survivors needing assistance:  1-888-363-2769
  Use national site to locate your nearest store for donations

U.S. and Local Government Sites

• Hurricane Web Portal
  Includes links to sites for finding loved ones
• DisasterHelp
  Another U.S. Government web portal with many links ... how to help ... how to apply for assistance ... and more.
• DisasterHelp - Detail
  DisasterHelp's detail page about the Katrina disaster.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• USA Freedom Corps
  As a coordinating entity in the White House, USA Freedom Corps is charged with promoting a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in America. USA Freedom Corps promotes and expands volunteer service in America by supporting Federal service programs, serving as a resource for non-profits, recognizing volunteers, and helping to connect individuals with volunteer organizations in their communities.
• Louisiana Homeland Security
• City of New Orleans
• NOAA
• Presidential Prayer Team

Other

• A Warning About Fradulent Websites
• Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia
  Article about the disaster and many useful links
• Wikipedia en Español - Huracán Katrina
• ELCA Disaster Response Site
  Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Resources include how you can help, hymns and prayers.

A Collect for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina

The Venerable Irma Wyman, Archdeacon for the Diocese of Minnesota, offers the following collect for use in congregations. It was originally offered at Morning Prayer on September 1 at Virginia Theological Seminary by Lonnie Lacy, a senior student in the Master of Divinity program.

God of all mercy, in the beginning your Holy Spirit brooded over the waters of the deep and turned chaos into life: Send that same life giving Spirit, we pray, to the displaced people of the Gulf Coast, that they may be delivered out of the waters of their own chaos and brought into safety; provide them with adequate medicine, dry shelter, and warm food; stand watch with those who are still alive yet remain unrescued, that their lives may be spared and their perseverance may not be in vain; bless all who are working to bring relief and rescue, that their coming in and their going out may be safe, fruitful, and secure; and finally, hear us as we commend to you those souls who faced Hurricane Katrina but could not survive her torment. In our common humanity, we cry out "kyrie eleison" through Jesus your Son, the Christ of Compassion. Amen.