Program Details: Gulf Coast Recovery

Nine-year-old Kenynira of New Orleans is all smiles as she sifts through items in the backpack she received from Mercy Corps. Photo: Dan Sadowsky/Mercy Corps

In New Orleans, Mercy Corps believes in positive change and promotes recovery initiatives through its core competencies as catalyst, convener and capacity-builder. The goal of Mercy Corps' Gulf Coast Hurricane Recovery program is to add value to the quality of life for New Orleanians by seeding and supporting innovative programs that strengthen relationships between public, private, and civil society stakeholders leading to a revived, functioning and robust city.

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Mercy Corps brought its extensive overseas post-disaster experience to the shores of the United
States, providing emergency relief supplies to over 100,000 people during the first three months of operation. By August 2006 Mercy Corps had assisted more than 140,000 Gulf Coast youth with psychosocial support services through its Comfort for Kids, child-focused grants, and cultural revitalization programs, including drum circles.

Mercy Corps currently works with local partners on recovery by:

• Supporting the revitalization of neighborhoods committed to building back smartly
• Stimulating economic development through the promotion of small businesses
• Advocating deconstruction as an environmentally, socially and economically sound alternative to demolition

Building Deconstruction and Reuse: A Public Interest, Cost-Effective Alternative to Demolition
Deconstruction is the systematic dismantling of a structure in order to maximize the yield of reusable building materials. Work is done mostly by hand, and salvageable materials are processed and sold affordably to the public through nonprofit community facilities.

Mercy Corps leads the way in raising awareness of deconstruction as a viable alternative to demolition with New Orleans and state authorities and FEMA. Its deconstruction training programs lead to contractor workforce development and serve as an education and community building example for civic leaders and government officials on the benefits of deconstruction.

Economic, environmental and social benefits of deconstruction include cost savings by reducing landfill dumping, creating new industry and local jobs, providing affordable materials in the local market, and retaining historic and cultural identity.

Building Back Smartly: Supporting the Revitalization of Neighborhoods
A new citizen activism has emerged in New Orleans in the wake of the hurricanes. Newly formed and strengthened neighborhood associations can meet the community's real needs by ensuring accessible and equitable delivery of recovery assistance and identifying funding gaps.

Mercy Corps is helping to increase civic participation in New Orleans. Through its integrated program of technical and financial support to neighborhood associations, Mercy Corps helps local communities reclaim, rebuild and revitalize their neighborhoods.

Mercy Corps believes in the fundamental right of people to participate in their own recovery. Its neighborhood revitalization program embodies this approach by engaging and empowering local neighborhood associations to lead that charge. Mercy Corps is currently working with neighborhood partners in the Lower 9th Ward, Holy Cross, Central City, and Broadmoor.

Economic Revival: Seeding and Supporting Economic and
Small Business Development
Mercy Corps' economic development program supports self-sustaining economic development programs and institutions that benefit New Orleanians in a number of ways.

Mercy Corps provides access to capital through small business asset replacement grants, low-interest loans through Hope Community Credit Union, and technical assistance programs in partnership with key community technical service providers.

Mercy Corps' economic development team in New Orleans also serves as a critical resource for technical advice, resource development, and coaching to the small business and nonprofit community. In particular, the program supports the strengthening of coalitions and advocacy initiatives to secure micro-entrepreneurial development policies and funding from both the public and private sectors.