Habitat for Humanity

I’m not sure to whom this letter should be addressed. Whoever reads it, please forward it to anyone who might be interested in exploring this project…There are two areas of the Katrina Villages Project where HFH could be especially helpful – first, through teaching villagers rebuilding skills; second, in coordinating preparation for home ownership. Many of those displaced by the storm were already at the bottom of the economic ladder. They will need to rebuild more than their homes…please, read on…

And thank you,

Liza Loop

Many of us are feeling helpless to make a difference as we begin to see the enormity of the Katrina disaster. I’d like to find a way to relieve some of the suffering of my southern neighbors. I’m not convinced that throwing some old clothes in a bag and taking them down to the local Red Cross will do the trick. I’m not confident that our current governmental agencies will be able to come up with a remedy. Sooooooo...continue with standard letter...

REPLY

From: Cindy Roberts mailto:CRoberts@habitat.org Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 8:44 AM To: liza@loopcntr.org Cc: Public Info Subject: RE: Idea to help Hurricane Katrina refugees

We appreciate your suggestion for ways to assist in responding to this crisis and have forwarded it to appropriate staff within Habitat for Humanity. They will contact you if they have further questions. We see two phases to this response: the immediate life-saving efforts by first responders such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, and then the second wave, Habitat for Humanity will have such an important role in providing lasting change. We are looking at a three-stage approach that will center first around efforts to help get the affiliates that were hardest hit by Katrina back on firm financial and equipment footing, ensuring that we can help them even as we help the affected Habitat families. Then we hope to serve as a catalyst with other organizations, corporations, foundations, governments, etc., to bring people together to talk about low-income housing and recovery on a scale that Habitat alone would be unable to do. Third, we will implement our “home in a box project,” where materials for homes are collected, then the home pre-built, taken apart and shipped to an affected community along the Gulf Coast or in New Orleans to be rebuilt. Habitat has been working along the Gulf Coast for years and will continue to be a mainstay provider there, working now with families and others who were so hard-struck by Hurricane Katrina, but continuing to work with families in need through and beyond the recovery period. In partnership,

Cindy Roberts Partner Service Center croberts@habitat.org