Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc.’s Rural Recovery Response is bringing volunteer and recovery resources to rural Louisiana families and communities impacted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in the rural hamlets in the West around Lake Charles AND in the East for those rural communities impacted by Hurricane Ida.
There has not been a hurricane of Laura’s size and strength on this part of the Gulf Coast in the historical record: the devastation and the recovery needs are great and were exacerbated by Hurricane Delta. SMHA’s Rural Recovery Response is mobilizing toward Rebuilding and Recovery, helping bring families and communities back from back-to-back disasters.
SMHA has a proven track record of success, history of recovery expertise, innovative model, “power of the story,” relationships necessary for an authentic and community-focused response and systems that support efficiency and accountability.
Historically, through our Rural Recovery Response, we effectively deployed over $1o million in capital to recover families, small businesses and communities impacted by 2005’s Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 2008’s Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and the 2010 BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and we stand ready to move affordable capital into the “gaps” that are unlikely to be served by federal or state government response.
