Club Hurricane Relief Project Descriptions

Six Quota clubs received approval to receive We Share Foundation donations to use to finance hurricane relief efforts in their local Quota communities. To read reports on each club's efforts, scroll down the page or click on the links below. A full one hundred percent of all donations received by the We Share Foundation for hurricane relief efforts were disseminated to these projects as described.

Louisiana, U.S.A.
Quota International of Bossier City
Quota International of Ruston, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Quota International of Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Mississippi, U.S.A.
Quota International of Jackson
Quota International of Mississippi Gulf Coast

Texas, U.S.A.
Quota International of Southeast Texas, Texas, U.S.A.

Louisiana, U.S.A.

Quota International of Bossier City

"Pray for the people in New Orleans—they cannot go home for a month or more. This impacts one million people—one quarter of the population of our state of Louisiana, U.S.A. There will be no commerce, no water, and no electricity for at least a month."

—Bobbie Carey, QI of Baton Rouge
August 31, 2005

Although Bossier City did not experience the devastating destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that other communities did, they were significantly impacted, as they welcomed in a significant number of evacuees. Quota International of Bossier City utilized its We Share Foundation Hurricane Relief grants to meet both the short- and long-term needs of these individuals.

Serving Individuals with Disabilities ($1,500)
Developmentally disabled individuals in South Louisiana were evacuated and moved to other areas of the state, as they required specialized supervision 24 hours a day. Evergreen Foundation coordinated complete evacuations of 110 clients from community homes before the hurricane with the necessary staff in place alongside them. Quotarian funds were used by the Bossier City club in partnership with Evergreen Foundation for transportation costs, additional staff, clothing, and food needed to supply sufficient care for these developmentally disabled people.

Catherine Crow (QI of Bossier City), who serves as the Foundation's Louisiana Director of Development, reported that even clients with the most severe disabilities were able to adjust to their new environments. "All people served were moved from a devastated area in a timely manner with no long-term negative effects," she wrote. These clients were able to begin returning home on September 2.

The We Share Foundation's Hurricane Relief Grant helped make this transition as smoothly and quickly as possible. Crow writes, "As an organization, we are very blessed to have evacuated safely, and the benefits of this grant enabled us to recover costs without losses in the operating budget for the division. The community benefited by our quick return, enabling us to help with the recovery process."

Rebuilding Lives ($1,500)
Hurricane Katrina evacuees who moved to the parishes of North Louisiana stayed either with family and friends, or in shelters. Their basic needs of shelter, food, and clothing were met, so Quota International of Bossier City helped them address a long-term concern: employment. To help these individuals rebuild their lives, the club used We Share funds in partnership with Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana to connect hurricane victims with employers through job fairs, job assistance workshops, and job placement assistance.

The job fair, held at the Bossier Civic Center on October 12, was an enormous success. Coordinated by Jesse Schmidt, vice president of Community Development for the North Louisiana Goodwill Industries Rehabilitation Center and past club president of Quota International of Shreveport, it drew 1,300 individuals, the largest turnout for any job fair held in the region. The more than 80 companies that participated provided employee recruiting and screening, pre-screening and referral of qualified job seekers, skills assessment, and ongoing support, job readiness training, and job retention services.

"We gave people a hand up, not a handout," Schmidt wrote in her report. "We gave people hope and dignity."

Providing for Our Kids ($1,500)
More than 700 students from evacuated families were placed in the Bossier Parish schools immediately following the hurricane. Generous with space and resources, these inner-city schools had little income to spare for supplies and uniforms for their new students. Quota International of Bossier City identified two of the most underserved schools, Bossier and Plantation Park Elementary, and provided more than 50 children with uniforms and new backpacks, folders, notebooks, colored pencils, and other supplies.

In her project report, Rosemary Patterson reflected on the value of these contributions to the children, their parents, and the school administrators, all of whom were thankful for one less things to worry about. However, she wrote, "Our greatest accomplishment was to help displaced students 'fit' into the new schools with all the backpacks and supplies that the local students had brought two weeks earlier."

Quota International of Ruston

"Now our focus is on praying for these victims and doing what we can in our area to help the refugees. Thank you for your prayers and concerns."

—Kathy Crowder, QI of Ruston
September 2, 2005

Supporting our Schools and a Family in Need: $5,350
The Ruston Quota club, like those in Bossier City and Jackson, was not in Hurricane Katrina's direct path, but they felt the storm's impact and responded with open arms: the city welcomed thousands of refugees, including over 600 new children who found a home in the school system there. Many of these children, wrote the Ruston club's president, Kathy Crowder, did not have proper physical education uniforms, while others were wearing the same uniform all week.

The club used We Share funds to purchase uniforms for those children who needed them, and made good use of its additional funds. They relieved some of the financial strain of Christmas by providing 20 families with $100 Visa gift cards, and they also sponsored a family that had evacuated to Ruston, holding a housewarming event and donating much needed items.

Quota International of Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A.

"Although the pictures are shocking, they really can't capture the total devastation and the feeling of loss and despair that come as a result of such an event. Nor can they capture the spirit and resolve of the people that came together as a whole to rebuild their lives and communities."

—Laura Lee Lahman, QI of Coral Springs/Parkland
November 14, 2005

Helping Families Live Independently: $1,000
The people of Shreveport, Louisiana, provided emergency housing, food, and clothing for several thousand evacuees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many of these evacuees became long-term residents and were faced with the challenges of establishing themselves in the new community. Shreveport Quota members, in partnership with Providence House, a local non-profit organization serving homeless families, aided 50 relocated families—moving them from homelessness to independence. We Share relief funds provided the families' shelter, food, and other necessities of life while helping the adults further their education, find work, and learn to manage their finances.

To learn more about Providence House and the work with Katrina victims that QI of Shreveport helped support, visit the Providence House Web site.

Mississippi, U.S.A.

Quota International of Jackson

"[Facility repairs] are way down the list of things that need to be done, with life, health, housing, and food first."

—Rosemary Patterson, QI of Bossier City
August 30, 2005

Supplying Families with Basic Needs ($1,428)
Hurricane Katrina did not directly hit Jackson, Mississippi, but that didn't stop local Quotarians from springing into action in the weeks after the storm. Members made every effort to address a particular need as it arose in their community, supplying baby items, paper goods, tents, cleaning supplies, over the counter medications, and toiletry items to families who has lost so much as well as school supplies for displaced students in local schools. Funds from around the Quota world made this effort possible.

Quota International of Mississippi Gulf Coast

"I am not sure what 'okay' really means to these wonderful ladies. I only know that there are no complaints. As we move on, I am sure we will find many stories of strength and courage from my fellow Quotarians. When we get back on our feet, I am sure that the Quota spirit will be shining!"

—Betty Shaw, QI of Mississippi Gulf Coast
September 15, 2005

Hurricane Katrina left much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in ruins: only nine percent of every structure in the region survived the storm. The Mississippi Gulf Coast club was the only one directly in Katrina's path, and Quota's international community anxiously awaited news from local members. Gradually, word trickled in. Many members' homes and offices were destroyed. Their lives were changed forever.

Each of these messages, though, brought with it a glimpse of optimism, with gratitude for the support of Quotarians worldwide, and hope for the future. By October 5, the Gulf Coast club had actively begun to rebuild their community, utilizing We Share funds to support thousands of hurricane victims.

Aiding Families with Deaf Members ($5,124)

The deLepee Deaf Center, one of the organizations with which the Gulf Coast club has a long-standing relationship, was one of the few buildings in the community that did not sustain damages, so within two weeks, it had turned into a distribution center. Quota International of Mississippi Gulf Coast used a We Share grant to assist the center in a variety of ways: stocking its food pantry, providing linens to families, and giving 6 TTY machines to families that had lost theirs in the storm.

Vicki Miller reported on the significant impact that Quota and deLepee had on victims of the hurricane. Approximately 1,500 people came through the center, collecting food, cleaning supplies, blankets, hygiene kits, medications, paper goods, baby items, and clothing from a pantry stocked and re-shelved by Quota. The club also presented eight families moving into FEMA trailers with sheets, blankets, towels, pillowcases, and pillows, and six additional families with TTY machines. In addition, the club used a portion of its grant to continue its one-of-a-kind mentoring program for deaf interpreters.

"We are proud to announce that Quota's funding allowed this one of a kind program to continue," Miller wrote, "and look forward to the long term rewards we will see for the deaf community."

Helping Children Escape ($5,000)

Hurricane Katrina left in her wake the remnants of three Boys and Girls Club sites and administrative offices in Biloxi, in addition to four other sites that experienced moderate to severe damages. In addition to the structural damage, the clubs learned that the City of Biloxi had been forced to eliminate its annual $150,000 contribution to the club. Once providers of after-school care, tutoring, social activities, and physical fitness programs for nearly 1,000 children, the centers were now without books, computers, sporting equipment, and resources for repair. They needed a means to move beyond the hurricane's aftermath and to provide a refuge for children seeking to escape the difficulties of everyday, post-Katrina life. Many were living in FEMA trailers and some still in tents.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Quotarians used We Share funds to help revive the centers. The $5,000 purchased much needed art supplies, 1,356 craft project kits, two laptop computers and cases, and laminating systems and manuals. In her project report, Vicki Miller described the children's reaction to the donations: "The children were delightfully surprised when they discovered their project kits. They made decorated Christmas boxes and colorful friendship bracelets. It was a welcome "escape" from their everyday hard lives."

Supporting Women in Crisis ($5,000)
The Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence in Biloxi, Mississippi, faced many challenges similar to those presented to the Boys and Girls Club in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Center, which is Mississippi's largest and oldest domestic violence shelter, provides programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and for family members of homicide victims. "The storm," Executive Director, Sandra Morrison wrote, "devastated our community, disrupting every facet of normalcy."

She said the most significant impact was the loss of local funding from city and county governments. In addition, the severe damage to infrastructure in the city and towns they serve made services impossible for clients to access, and many staff members were forced to permanently leave their positions to relocate to areas where jobs and housing were more readily available.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Quota Club provided the center a helping hand in the rebuilding process and helped them continue to provide these important services. We Share funds were used for computers, supplies, furniture, restoration of the preschool playground area, which were not covered by insurance, as well as travel expenses for outreach workers, relocation expenses for clients, and other administrative costs previously covered by local governmental support.

"Support such as yours is extremely important to the center and the victims we serve, especially in this time of the recent hurricane crisis," Morrison wrote. "It is through your consideration that we are able to maintain our program services."

Providing Warming Blankets for Tent City Evacuees ($5,000)
Ten weeks after Hurricane Katrina, nighttime temperatures were dipping into the 40s. Thousands of people who lost their homes and jobs were still living in tent cities in the Gulf Coast region. Mississippi Gulf Coast Quotarians were attentive to the challenges these individuals faced, recognizing that organizations like the American Red Cross did not have the resources to keep all of the refugees warm.

The Gulf Coast Club responded with over 400 queen-size cotton thermal blankets, which they purchased for $12 apiece, thanks to a generous discount from Bed, Bath & Beyond. They drove their cars, overflowing with blankets, to Bay Saint Louis, where they set up distribution tables. Vicki Miller describes the experience vividly:

"It was cold and damp that night, and we waited for our Bay St. Louis/Waveland neighbors to arrive. We were greeted by many adults and children in shorts, t-shirts, some were even barefoot…all of them were delighted when we told them that they could choose a blanket for their very own. They wrapped themselves up and settled down for the night!"

Providing Summer Fun for Kids: $2,500
More than 700 children are expected to attend the City of Gulfport, Mississippi, summer program this year, but most of the recreational supplies needed for this day camp were lost in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Arts and crafts supplies, sports equipment, games, and office supplies are needed to provide a fun-filled summer for these children—the majority from low income families with no place to go while school is out of session. "At a time when many of our children's lives have been disrupted and totally turned upside down, we hope to provide a recreation escape for these children," says Gulfport's Leisure Services director. Members of Quota International of Mississippi Gulf Coast used Quotarian donations to provide the necessary supplies to get this important summer program back on its feet.

Texas, U.S.A.

Quota International of Southeast Texas

"'Come back and celebrate with us in two years,' friends are telling me. The South has survived plagues, floods, malaria outbreaks, hurricanes, and the Civil War. Southerners are proud and resilient people. And experienced survivors.

Recovered, rebuilt, revived, and rejuvenated, The South, as they always promise, shall rise again."

—Charlotte Schamadan, QI of Monrovia Duarte
September 12, 2005

Less than one month after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Hurricane Rita came ashore in Southeast Texas. Members of the Southeast Texas club who had been volunteering in shelters for Hurricane Katrina victims returned home to find their houses destroyed, personal belongings lost, and places of business unable to reopen. Their major fund-raiser was cancelled—the civic center where it was to be held lost its roof. Meanwhile, the media attention, funding, and international support that had been directed at Katrina's victims were waning. In spite of all this, wrote club president Diana Bass, "Quota International of Southeast Texas was able to focus on others and provide service."

Over the past several months, Southeast Texas's Quotarians have carefully assessed the damage and allocated their resources to a wide range of individuals and organizations, targeting especially those who have been neglected by other relief services. "Quota has been able to respond in ways that have been personal and individual without the layers of qualifying red tape of other organizations," wrote Bass. "The members of our club have many years in social service experience and have been able to screen applicants quickly and know of other services able to provide assistance. The ability to provide this individual assistance has allowed our community members access to funds that have helped them help others."

Thanks to Quota International of Southeast Texas's generosity and careful consideration, We Share funds reached hundreds of individuals who needed them most.

Helping Families without Homes ($3,300)
In the wake of Rita, many families waited endlessly for relief responses from FEMA and their insurance companies, but many of their requests for assistance in rebuilding and repairing their homes were delayed or denied. Local non-profit organizations provided as much relief as possible to these families, but local fund-raising and service activities were severely limited due to lack of facilities and volunteers. QI of Southeast Texas used We Share funds to meet this gap, assisting eight families in Southeast Texas in setting up homes.

The club also contributed to a local church to purchase supplies to rebuild and repair the home of a single mother with two adopted children. A daycare worker and active church member, her home was severely damaged, and she did not have insurance. Her church arranged for members to help repair the home, and Quota provided the funds necessary for materials.

Funding the Basics ($5,310)
Both Hurricane Katrina evacuees and Rita victims turned to Southeast Texas's local non-profit community for support in addressing the most basic of needs, ranging from basic food, shelter, and clothing to school supplies to hearing aids and other related devices. Many organizations were overwhelmed by this demand but found support in Quota International of Southeast Texas, which used We Share funds to partner with these organizations.

Thanks to the generosity of Quotarians worldwide and the Southeast Texas club's awareness of local needs, several organizations were able to provide essential support. With the We Share Foundation's donations, the Boys Haven of America was able to purchase personal items like shampoo and combs for the boys they assist, a Lamar Speech Pathology student received much needed financial support, CASA (a local non-profit) was able to provide holiday gifts to children, and a hearing-impaired individual was given a TTY that had been lost during Hurricane Rita. In addition, numerous students received school supplies, and organizations like the United Board of Missions, the Capland Center for Communication Disorders, the Garth House, and the Triangle AIDS Network were able to replace supplies and resources damaged in the storm.

Providing Relief in a Time of Transition ($4,846)
Quota International of Southeast Texas has partnered with other important area agencies like the United Methodist Committee on Relief to screen individual requests for assistance so as not to duplicate services and to serve those individuals who have no other resources. Disadvantaged women and children, and those with communication disorders, who are identified as good candidates for these services will receive help rebuilding their homes and meeting basic health, educational, and other relief needs.