- Font:
- +
- -
Five years after hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma wrought a trail of devastation across the Gulf Coast, there's still plenty of recovery and rebuilding work to be done.
The hurricanes of 2005 destroyed or severely damaged approximately 350,000 homes within 90,000 square miles from southeastern Texas to the Florida Keys and caused more than $81 billion in damage, according to the American Red Cross. They were the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.
In the five years since the hurricanes, Habitat for Humanity says it has has built more than 2,200 homes in the region and repaired nearly 1,000 others through partnerships. But much work remains to be done.
"There is still a great need in the region, and Habitat’s 21 Gulf Coast affiliates continue to build, repair and rehab more than 400 houses a year with the help of volunteer labor and donations of money and materials," Kip Scheidler, Habitat's senior director, global disaster response, said in a statement. "Every anniversary gives us a chance to reflect on the work we’ve done and to recharge for the work ahead."
-
More on Katrina, 5 years later
-
New Orleans' Ninth Ward: After Katrina and nowGetty Images
PhotoBlog: Five years later, a photographer revisits the worst-hit Crescent City neighborhood.
- Newsweek: Oil industry benefits from Katrina aid
- 'No compassion' for Katrina loan applicants
- Katrina recovery: How you can help
- More stories on Katrina recovery
-
Laura Paul, director of development, for lowernine.org, a nonprofit that is helping rebuild homes in the hard-hit Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, says her organization has a wait list of more than 300 people wanting to return home.
"Conservative estimates have our recovery lasting another 10 years. We're not running out of work anytime soon," Paul said.
Vote: Should we continue to donate to Katrina victims?"It's very easy to rally around a cause in the early days of a disaster, but the message needs to be that people need to support recovery efforts over time."
Habitat for Humanity and lowernine.org are among the organizations accepting donations or volunteer work for aid they or affiliates will provide to those still affected by the 2005 storms. Interested in donating or volunteering? Here is a partial list to check out.
American Red Cross
PO Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
(800) HELP-NOW
www.redcross.org
American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(888) 588-2372
http://afsc.org/
AmeriCares
88 Hamilton Ave.
Stamford, CT 06902
(800) 486-HELP
www.americares.org
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation
402 N. Fourth Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(877) 387-6126
www.braf.org/
Catholic Charities USA
P.O. Box 17066
Baltimore, MD 21297-1066
(800) 919-9338
www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
Church World Service
475 Riverside Dr., Suite 700
New York, NY 10115
800-297-1516
http://www.churchworldservice.org
Episcopal Relief and Development
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
(800) 334-7626
www.er-d.org
Feeding America
35 E. Wacker Dr., Ste. 2000
Chicago, IL 60601
(800) 771-2303
http://feedingamerica.org
Gifts In Kind International
333 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-2121
www.giftsinkind.org
Habitat for Humanity International
121 Habitat St
Americus, GA 31709-3498
(800) 422-4828
www.habitat.org
HandsOn Network
600 Means Street, Suite 210
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 979-2900
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/
lowernine.org
6018 El Dorado Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 278-1240
Lower 9th Ward NENA
1120 Lamanche Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 373-6483
http://www.9thwardnena.org/
Lutheran Disaster Response
8765 West Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631
(800) 638-3522
http://www.ldr.org
Network for Good
7920 Norfolk Avenue
Suite 520
Bethesda, MD 20814
(888) 284-7978
www.networkforgood.org
Operation Hope
707 Wilshire Boulevard, 30th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90017
( 877) 592 HOPE (4673)
http://www.operationhope.org/smdev/
Operation Nehemiah
PO Box 73722
Metairie, LA 70033-3722
(504)-782-3337
http://operationnehemiah.com/
Operation USA
3617 Hayden Avenue, Suite A
Culver City, California 90232
(800) 678-7255
www.opusa.org/
Oxfam-America
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
(800) 776-9326
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/
Phoenix of New Orleans
2307 Bienville St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 322-3327
http://www.pnola.org/
Project Homecoming
3700 Gentilly Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70122
(877) 942-0444
http://projecthomecoming.net/
Salvation Army
P.O. Box 4857
Jackson, Miss. 39296-4857
(800) SAL-ARMY
www.salvationarmy.org
Save the Children
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
(800) 728-3843
http://www.savethechildren.org/index.html
Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans
4152 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 482-2130
http://www.voagno.org/
Sources: msnbc.com research,American Institute of Philanthropy, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints
“ ”