LOUISIANA HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE MARCH 2021
TOTAL PROGRAM IMPACT
8,960 56
LIVES IMPACTED*
VOLUNTEERS
1,474
VOLUNTEER DAYS
174
JOBS COMPLETED
*includes 8,675 people who we indirectly impacted while working at a distribution center
Current Situation We’re excited to announce that our first cohort of DM12 volunteers arrived safely at the end of last month, after some minor delays due to Winter Storm Uri that gripped the US! Following a period of mandatory quarantine and onboarding training, they donned their work-boots and are making great progress on our worksite queue, alongside our staff. Since the program reopened after the Christmas break, a total of seven sites has now been completed! The team has also been carrying out improvements at our base of operations in an effort to increase capacity. Applications are now open for the second DM12 cohort, which will run from May to July, and now that we have additional capacity, we’re hoping to welcome an increased number of volunteers. Visit our website for more information on this DM12 volunteering opportunity.
Community Voices Back in December we shared the story of Tiwona with you; a wonderful woman who was eager to repair the hurricane damage on her home as she had plans to turn her extension into a women’s shelter; a cause close to her heart. The team completed a muck and gut on her home before Christmas, and are delighted to return this month to start working on mold sanitation and roof repair. “She is such a strong woman, a pillar in the community who just wants to give back. The team continues to be moved by her level of comfort in sharing her story with us. We can’t wait to get her a little closer to moving back into her home” - Hana Wilder, AHAH Program Director Photos: (top) two volunteers working on a muck and gut, (left) our team with Tiwona outside her home.
Learn about us at:
allhandsandhearts.org
Disaster Profile Louisiana was hit by five storms in 2020, the two largest of which caused significant damage. On 27 August 2020, Hurricane Laura pounded the Louisiana and Texas coasts, making landfall near Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds. Six weeks later, on 9 October 2020, Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 2 storm in Creole, Louisiana. It followed a similar path to Hurricane Laura and compounded the damages already left by previous storms as well as causing a lot more rainfall accumulation, with several places reporting up to 18” within a few hours.
Our Work Our team has been assisting impacted families since early September 2020. With the support of AmeriCorps NCCC members, we initially focused solely on response activities such as debris removal, tree removal, roof tarping, muck & gut and mold sanitation. In December 2020, we began a Resilient Roof Repair Program to help address long-term recovery needs. We are committed to stay in Southwest Louisiana through the summer, and will continue with both response and recovery activities, including home repair and rebuild.
About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure. We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the seventh year in a row. This year only seven percent of rated non-profits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.
Our Partners
info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211