Gulf states get hammered, how to help?
August 29, 2021 9:58 PM   Subscribe

Ida is roaring through Louisiana and other states. Normally, I'd just send some cash off to the Red Cross, but I've been wondering if maybe there might be better choices. What charities would you suggest?
posted by Marky to Society & Culture (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Cajun Navy is a reference to informal groups that got together in response to Hurricane Katrina. It is mostly just people that show up with their boats when called to assist. Louisiana has thousands of boat owners that generally know the area better than non-local first responders. They have typically been involved with most natural disasters in the area since. Although it is informal, there are a few more established charities that use the name, with United Cajun Navy being perhaps the biggest.
These people typically assist with search and rescue at this stage. You can follow their Facebook page to see what their immediate needs are. Look for the blue circle check mark next to their name on Facebook.
They will typically use donations for water/food/fuel/blankets. There is sometimes criticism about these organizations because there may not be a lot of accountability for how the donations are spent, however most of the people are volunteering their time and equipment and putting themselves at considerable risk to help their “neighbors” and having these supplies available to them increases the help they can provide.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 10:50 PM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]


This comment in the Ida thread on the blue seemed to have some good options for mutual aid and BIPOC led groups.
posted by geegollygosh at 5:00 AM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]


Photojuornalist @photoaziz on Instagram has also been posting known mutual aid groups in his stories. He's connected to the community and trusted.
posted by quince at 1:40 PM on August 30, 2021


I think this NPR piece from today about the Red Cross is a timely relevant read and may give you some ideas about donating hyper-locally:

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/08/30/red-cross-haiti-aid
posted by Dansaman at 9:52 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]


For what it's worth, a 2014 comment blasting the American Red Cross (specifically the ARC vs the international organization) made a big impression on me, so thank you for looking into local organizations. That comment in the Ida thread looks like some great places to start.
posted by kristi at 5:58 PM on August 31, 2021


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