For decades, South Louisiana has been haunted with unforgettable storms such as Camille, Betsy, Andrew and Katrina. These names become curses, symbols for disaster forever etched in the minds of the residents of Louisiana and the Gulf South and more recently the nation. With the recent landfall of Hurricane Gustav, the nation’s focus shifted once again to the Gulf South and specifically New Orleans and, while the city was spared the brunt of the storm, surrounding parishes and counties were not so fortunate. But Catholic Charities New Orleans (CCNO) is here to help. Within hours of making landfall CCNO was on the ground offering a variety of services reaching those who needed it most. In addition to supporting the victims of the latest storms, Catholic Charities New Orleans continues to support victims of Hurricane Katrina years later. Gordon Wadge, CCNO’s Co-President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are an early responder, there directly after a disaster strikes. We are also a forever responder because we will always be here to serve this region when there is a need.”
Founded in 1727, Catholic Charities New Orleans, a member of Catholic Charities USA, has evolved throughout the years as the region’s needs have evolved. It now offers more than 45 programs including rebuilding homes, feeding the needy and supporting the elderly, and a variety of other programs work to restore hope to the people in the area, and more recently, the nation. Correspondents from CCNO do not just help the New Orleans area; they have also been dispatched all over the nation to help when a disaster strikes. Because Catholic Charities has become a leader in emergency response and recovery since Hurricane Katrina, it is uniquely positioned to lead recovery efforts and meet the needs of this region after hurricanes hit or for any other natural disaster whether it be fire, tornado or earthquake.
Colleen D’Aquin, CCNO’s Emergency Management Coordinator recently visited Iowa after the state was engulfed in flood water. “Responding to the after-effects of the storms that have struck the Gulf Coast has made us better prepared to handle disaster responses of this size,” says D’Aquin. “Everything they were going through, every emotion they were feeling, we’ve been there. I could say I know how you feel and mean it.”
Now while it is tempting to hope that relying on the number of people helped by CCNO is enough to demonstrate the depth and breadth its work, the voices of the people served offer the most compelling picture of CCNO’s ministries. Because of this, Catholic Charities New Orleans is launching a new website, www.seetheproof.org that highlights though videos, photographs and testimonials the progress being made and the lives changed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the most recent Gulf hurricanes. Noticing the national sense of frustration regarding the appearance of a slow recovery in the region, CCNO sprang into action and formed this new site to show people all over the nation proof that life changing work is being done in the region. Instead of generalizing the recovery efforts, www.seetheproof.org focuses on personal stories of how the nation’s donations are positively making a difference in thousands of lives in New Orleans.
“We want to re-connect with people who have helped us all over the country and show them the difference they have made in people’s lives here,” says Wadge about the new site. CCNO would like people all over the country to act as advocates for New Orleans and spread the message about the progress that is being made in the city and the region. The site urges people to forward the message to family and friends as well.
For the residents of areas affected by these storms, people never know which storm is going to be the next big one. Kyle? Nana? Omar? No one can tell for sure, but what is certain is that Catholic Charities New Orleans will be there when it’s over. For more information please visit, www.seetheproof.org.
