Emergency Communities is a grassroots organization that provides hot meals, laundry facilities, distribution of food, clothing, and small appliances, medical care, herbal remedies, massages, and a safe, warm place for returning residents to reconnect – all free to people rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Katrina. Staffed by volunteers, Emergency Communities receives $300,000 in operating funds from United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area as well as ongoing donations of food and other necessities from various sources.

Leveraging the important role bringing people together plays in rebuilding lives and rekindling hope, Emergency Communities currently hosts two large scale relief kitchens and community centers for displaced residents of St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. EC also is providing critical support for the rebuilding effort by providing meals to thousands of volunteers working in these hurricane-ravaged areas.

At a school in Violet, Emergency Communities currently serves about 1,200 fresh, nutritious meals each day. In Buras, where Hurricane Katrina first made landfall, Emergency Communities began serving meals on June 1st and is currently feeding more than 300 people a day as well as offering movie nights, shower facilities, and other assistance to local residents.

The demand in Buras for these services is growing steadily as word spreads and more residents return to rebuild their homes and lives. Large numbers of residents are expected to return to the area in the coming months, living in tents and trailers while rebuilding their homes. This influx of returnees will result in an even greater need for monetary support and product donations.

Because EC provides such a wide variety of vital services to the community, this unique organization has an eclectic list of needs. Two of the most important needs this summer are insect repellant and mosquito netting; however, there are a myriad of ways United Ways nationwide and their partner agencies can help Emergency Communities continually provide such valuable goods and services. Please help us harness our vast, system resources by assisting this beneficial and much needed organization.

To learn more about Emergency Communities, please visit http://www.emergencycommunities.org/