Mercy Corps Partners with Episcopal Relief and Development to Aid Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Photo: Chris Rooks/Mercy Corps

As flood waters continue to inundate much of the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mercy Corps is partnering with Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of people displaced from their homes in coastal Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

We are seeking donations to fund a rapid humanitarian response. Your contribution will go directly to fast, efficient relief and recovery programs.

ERD, a humanitarian agency with programs in the U.S. and abroad, will work through its extensive network of Episcopal dioceses and parishes in the region to provide emergency supplies to hurricane survivors.

Mercy Corps has a long history of working with ERD. The organizations partnered to provide emergency relief services during the Kosovo crisis in 1999-2000 and in response to the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran. Both agencies have experience in emergency relief and extended post-disaster work, and will work with local communities on longer-term recovery and rehabilitation efforts.

Mercy Corps has responded to domestic emergencies in the past, although the agency primarily works in overseas countries. Following Hurricanes Andrew and Ivan, Mercy Corps offered substantial financial support to the domestic emergency relief organizations that were leading the relief effort. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Mercy Corps partnered with JP MorganChase, Bright Horizons, and the National Center for Grieving Families and Children to establish the Comfort for Kids program, which trained parents and educators in New York City to address children’s trauma following the terrorist attacks.

Survivors and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina need your help. Experts are saying that it could be weeks before they're able to return to their homes, where they almost certainly face the uncertainty of rebuilding. Dozens of people have perished and damage estimates are running into the tens of billions of dollars as Hurricane Katrina's aftermath continues to unfold.

Please contribute to our Hurricane Katrina response fund to ensure survivors and displaced families have the help they need at this difficult time.

About Episcopal Relief and Development:
Episcopal Relief and Development, an independent 501(c) 3 organization, saves lives and builds hope in communities around the world. We provide emergency assistance in times of crisis and rebuild after disasters. We enable people to climb out of poverty by offering long-term solutions in the areas of food security and health care, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.