In Mississippi, the hurricane caused extensive damage to the roof and foundation of the St. Francis facilities in Pascagoula and Picayune. ERD’s support is helping transfer the evacuees to facilities in Kansas and provide the displaced youth and adults with food, shelter, school supplies, and other specialized services.
“It will be a long time before power and safe drinking water are restored,” said the Very Rev. Edward Fellhauer, Dean and President of St. Francis, in a statement on the academy’s Web site. “The Coast is not a place for them to stay at this time. We are grateful to have the option and ability to bring them to Kansas,” said Dean Fellhauer.
ERD has partnered with the Diocese of East Tennessee to help relocate displaced people from Louisiana and Mississippi. The assistance will provide food for families in Roane County, a rural area near Knoxville. At least 250 families, or an estimated 1000 people, are expected in Roane County. The effort will be coordinated by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Harriman.
“Along with countless others, I am grateful for the responsiveness of Episcopal Relief and Development and for the compassionate ministry of relief that your organization offers to those in need,” said the Rt. Rev. Charles G. vonRosenberg, Bishop of East Tennessee.
For more details about the response to Hurricane Katrina, please check the Hurricane Katrina Crisis Center on our Web site at http://www.er-d.org/. The center is regularly updated with new information, personal accounts, and other resources.
To make a contribution to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, please donate to the Hurricane Katrina Response Fund by credit card at www.er-d.org/ or by calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, c/o Hurricane Katrina Response Fund, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101.
Episcopal Relief and Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States. An independent 501(c) 3 organization, ERD saves lives and builds hope in communities around the world. We provide emergency assistance in times of crisis and rebuild after disasters. We enable people to climb out of poverty by offering long-term solutions in the areas of food security and health care, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
