"faith in action" - one year later

Nice article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about what faith-based orgs have done and are still doing in areas ravaged by Katrina and Rita.

Katrina Sunday - Aug 27

some pics from Sunday's Katrina Event.

Building 100 Homes in Slidell, LA

The East St Tammany Habitat for Humanity has decided to build 100 homes in 2007 in Slidell, LA, a town on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain that was devastated by flooding after Hurricane Katrina.

KatrinaGrace plans to help by sending down 6 or 7 teams of 20 folks between now and the end of 2007. We are partnering with Trinity Church in Covington, LA in this effort and this is where our folks will be staying when they're in the New Orleans area.

If you are interested in working on one of these teams, please email Beth Shields or Sandra Clabough.

Pictures of Trinity and Compassion Staff in Covington, LA

can be found here!

We've also linked to these under "Links and Information" in the right-hand column of this site for your future reference.

Most of our times have stayed at Trinity Church and worked thru Compassion Ministries as we've worked in the New Orleans Area.

Biloxi 1 Team from November 2005

• Adam Fry
• Craig Wampler
• Sarah Wampler
• Gadget Ambuel
• Chad Manifold
• Jeromy Smith
• Kim Smith
• Karen Royer
• Nicole Ambuel
• Steve Royer

Bilox 2 Team - April 2006

Gadget Ambuel
Larry Ambuel
Margaret Ambuel
Nicole Ambuel
Chad Manifold
Matthis Wecker
Brett Wiuff
Karen Royer
Steve Royer

katrina by the numbers, part 2: 1 year later

USA TODAY poll in today's paper:

• 16% - those who say that their lives are back to normal one year later
• 56% - those with kids under 18 who say that their kids have been negatively affected by the storm
• 25% - those who have not moved back
• 20% - number of those who have moved back but believe they may need to move out again
• 14% - those currently unemployed
  
  
• "those who say they are experiencing a great deal or quite a bit of"
  
  
• anxiety - 27%
• trouble sleeping - 26%
• depression - 23%
• "difficulties in marriage or other family relationships" - 18%
  
  
• Top 5 Most Difficult Things to Deal with Since Katrina:
  
  
1. damaged property
2. financial problems
3. mental or emotional sate
4. "getting our lives back on track"
5. "no longer having a job"
   
   
• Top 5 Types of Help Most Desired to Recover from Katrina
  
  
1. $
2. help with damage or contractors
3. more FEMA help
4. "a place to stay"
5. a job

Recent stats from Compassion Ministries which works thru Trinity Church in Covington, LA. This is where we've sent most of our Work Teams:

• # of volunteers: 5,458
  
• volunteer work hours: 206,350

- USA TODAY related story.

- katrina by the numbers, part 1: the impact of the storm

New KatrinaGrace Resource

The Evangelical Free Church of America Katrina Project has launched a new website in support of their Katrina relief efforts in the New Orleans area. Most of our Teams have been working with this project and Trinity Church, which is an Evangelical Free church.

It features:

• the Latest Stats of the effort (now current thru 7/21/06):

Work Hours: 206,350

Volunteers: 5,458

• a project blog
  
  
• information about sending a team
  
  
• and they'll be adding more features to the site as well in the future.
  

"Churches battling post-Katrina depression"

"But only 22 of the 196 psychiatrists who practiced in New Orleans have returned, according to a report published this month in the
Journal of the American Medical Association.

A state-run psychiatric hospital re-opened last week with 10 adult beds, a fraction of what was available before the storm.

As the city waits for its share of $80 million in federal relief funds allocated for rebuilding the state's mental health care infrastructure, local pastors are being called upon to fill the void."

- link