Volunteers of America Southeast has worked with communities throughout the Gulf Coast for the last 20 years. Following Hurricane Katrina, we assisted over 600 families recover their housing and put back together their livelihoods through federal funds and our faith community partners. In the last three months we have seen similar destruction as a result of the BP Gulf Coast oil disaster. Many of the families whose careers revolved around the seafood industry are now struggling to maintain housing and provide basic need items for their families. 

While some coastal families have applied and received some compensation from BP, most have not. These unmet needs are now being shifted to existing formal and informal social service systems, mostly churches, which can provide food and clothing, but do not have the capacity to address domestic violence, substance abuse issues, significant mental health crisis, and general issues that arise when a family and community are under extreme duress.

One of the primary services not being provided is a safety net for individuals and families who do not fit any of the assistance categories but who are being greatly impacted, including children, single parent families, and the elderly. Services to these marginalized populations must be specific and interventions must happen on both an individual and community level. We know from our participation in recovery following Katrina that residents of this community will reluctantly access services through a formal network or provider. They draw support from family, schools, churches, community healthcare providers, and informal gatherings.

Volunteers of America Southeast has designed a program based on community needs and inventory of existing resources. We have also started the process of identifying the unmet needs and securing resources to address those gaps. Because of the unique type of this disaster, we are using the "best practice model and guidebook" created by the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council (PWRCAC), formed to address the needs of several communities impacted as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. Our organization is receiving technical assistance from PWRCAC and will continue to receive it as long as needed.

Help Gulf Coast families in Crisis due to the Oil Spill.