Gulf Coast Fund Responds as Region Braces for Yet Another Disaster

As Mississippi River Flooding Heads South, Gulf Coast Fund Launches Text-to-Donate Campaign to Raise Desperately Needed Resources

NEW ORLEANS, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health (http://www.gulfcoastfund.org), a community-led philanthropy in the Gulf Coast, is mobilizing in anticipation of yet another disaster. As rising floodwaters from the Mississippi River approach the region, the Fund is working with grassroots leaders to distribute emergency grants to underserved communities that will likely be severely affected, such as those along the Atchafalaya River in the Louisiana Bayou. Floodwaters are expected to cover ten percent of Louisiana, impacting 2,500 people living in its immediate path and an additional 22,500 who are predicted to be affected by backwater flooding.

"We hope for the best but prepare for the worst," states Marylee Orr, Executive Director, Louisiana Environmental Action Network (http://www.leanweb.org). "The challenge is waiting to see what the river will do. For now, we're doing what we can -- patrolling the River, distributing daily updates on flood conditions, keeping communities informed, and supplying clean-up kits for use after the water recedes, which is expected at the end of May at the very earliest," Orr continues.

"Most evacuees have stored their belongings and are staying with friends or family, and more mandatory evacuations will likely be issued in the coming days," explains LaTosha Brown, Director, Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health. "Just as with the residents displaced by the recent tornadoes, permanent and lasting housing solutions need to be developed. Staying with friends and family can not be considered a long-term solution," Brown states.

This latest emergency response by the Gulf Coast Fund is in addition to ongoing support for hard-hit, low-income and often isolated rural communities in Alabama and Mississippi, who are still reeling from the tornadoes that struck last month, as well as continued funding and aid to support residents impacted by health issues and loss of livelihood due to the BP drilling disaster.

"By establishing an extensive network of grassroots organizations, the Gulf Coast Fund has been able to move resources quickly to areas with urgent needs," Brown declares. "But in the face of so many recent disasters occurring one after the other, the need for funds has increased. Our hope is that by launching a text-to-donate campaign, we can reach out to a broad audience and fortify our ability to provide emergency grants to disenfranchised communities with crucial needs," Brown states.

You can now donate to the Gulf Coast Fund with your cell phone:
TEXT "RESTORE" to "85944" to donate $10 instantly
Make sure you Reply Yes to confirm your gift
Standard Messaging Rates Apply

Interviews with Marylee Orr and LaTosha Brown available upon request.

Media Contact: Barbara Nonas
[email protected]
(212) 759-4378

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Gulf Coast Fund