CAN-DO Progress Report:  Hurricane Katrina & Hurricane Rita

CAN-DO has been on the ground in the Gulf Coast since September 4th and covered 10,168 (recorded) miles.  We have been active in the relief effort throughout Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

On September 4th we were granted FEMA clearance into the French Quarter.  We arrived in New Orleans and set up in Jeff erson Park. Our goal was to triage the need in the immediate area, before setting up a corresponding Point Of Distribution, or POD.

With the use of a simple map, we pinpointed surrounding parks.  Parks are centrally located and easily accessible by the public.  We chose Washington Square park on Frenchman St. in the French Quarter as an optimal location for a registration and info rmation POD for the public.  It was equipped with eight-foot rod iron fencing and one entrance, which provide proper control and security.
(Picture of Park)

Reason:  Survivors who were found wandering the streets expressed their need for proper info rmation and registration points.  Also, on September 19, 2005, New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin announced his "ambitious" plan to allow 200,000 people to return to the French Quarter over a ten-day span.  By already having a properly set up POD or accessible info rmation/registration staging area we are eliminating the level of mass confusion.   At the time, there were no registration points yet to be set up inside the French Quarter or surrounding area.  The closest was forty-five minutes by car (At the time many victims did not have cars or phones).

Our solution was simple:  set up a POD complete with a registration and info rmation area, readily accessible to community members. Information about FEMA programs and other disaster assistance programs was scarce.  "One stop shopping" for food, water, and factual info rmation and registration were not available. Unfortunately, we were denied permission to conduct a proper distribution inside the French Quarter. Local officials turned down our request due to "...the current state of Marshall law...” (We were validated three months later when the same local authorities who had denied our previous request set up a basic POD/staging area.)

We continued our assessment northeast. On Sept 28 we arrived in Biloxi MS. While all eyes were focused on New Orleans, efforts had lagged in reaching the citizens of this casino-heavy tourist stop. After assessing the Biloxi area, we had several surprising discoveries:

It was apparent to us, upon arrival, that there was little inter-agency communication.   When the proper assessments are not made and communication is not established, duplication of relief efforts becomes a serious problem and slows operations.   Below is a map of the area.  The circles represent distribution centers or POD's that were set up in Biloxi shortly after Katrina and remained for months or until they were phased out.

Another example illustrating the importance of inter-agency communication or the need for a Shared Relief Network:

Several groups were offering medical care within the west-central portion of the city, while no medical services were available in the northern part of town. In addition, (despite their physical proximity) it was several weeks before physicians in one area realized that they had an abundance of insulin, while the other center was seriously lacking.

(Circles represent Medical PODS)

Once again, we attempted to find a good central location that could provide multiple services. Ideally, a Community Revitalization Center, could provide immediate needs, but also evolve over time to accommodate long-term needs. We continued assessment by viewing the map below:

The structures in red were either completely destroyed or uninhabitable. The structures in Blue were deemed "located". That is, from the air they appeared to be on their foundation.

 
In Biloxi, with such a high level of destruction, we immediately began searching for a suitable CRC location.  Our initial survey of the area led us to an unoccupied physical structure that we felt was a perfect location for a Community Revitalization Center.  The DuKate Elementary School had full plumbing, a sound interior structure, and a large land area for tents or trailers. It was also centrally located and had the only bus stop in the area.  

However, our vision was once again too far ahead of its time. Without a mapping system to demonstrate the efficiency of a CRC , our plan was underestimated. (Ironically, after five months, the city of E. Biloxi installed plumbing and trailers on the very grounds we proposed in early September.)

(Pictures before and after)

Summary:

First assessment of any area is crucial.   Having a better understanding and control over what the immediate need is helps eliminate the overflow of unnecessary supplies in the future.  By using a Grid System and evaluating the different areas in need, we were able to filter supplies and provide aid more efficiently over larger areas with less confusion.  An accurate assessment also allows a cleaner chain of info rmation resulting in better communication between the organizations and their relief team s on the ground and the outside world.

To work efficiently on the ground during a disaster, we need to improve the old system and procedures, as well as network more effectively through better communication. Precious time is lost and resources squandered searching for info rmation.

A way of eliminating the confusion and overflow is by first allocating a suitable centralized area as drop zone.   A drop zone is a staging area where supply needs are met for one particular area.  Here supplies are filtered in, logged, sorted, and then distributed.

For example: FEMA had set up a drop zone point in Jackson MS.  Here supplies came into their facility and were then sent out to various POD's they selected.

The issues we found were:  

*Supplies were being routed to POD's that were improperly set up or mismanaged. This allowed an unnecessary flow of supply that would pile up in one location, only to be discarded, dumped or often times used as a bartering tool by organizations to obtain status.  This caused useful supplies to sit for long periods of time and not meet their intended purpose. Through a properly set up staging area and stronger communication between organizations, distribution sites would not become over-run with supplies, making the immediate supply flow smoother and more effective.  Allowing more focus, not only on the necessary supplies, but proper distribution of public info rmation, registration, and if necessary, medical and emergency care.

We, CAN-DO, found by surveying and proper assessment, we could successfully set up small satellite POD's in areas forgotten or overlooked.  In order to meet the supply needed, we would then consolidate over-run warehouses and use them to feed the smaller satellite PODs.  This method proved to be very effective. In addition, we feel that a POD can best serve its community if it has the potential to grow and evolve with the recovery effort, allowing room for other necessary relief services to be implemented (i.e., Medical, Mental Health, Hot Meals/Kitchen, Internet Facility, Laundry Facility, Showers etc.).

When we were in Sri Lanka, we successfully implemented many facets of our philosophy or just plain common sense. We ran into less resistance being in a third world country, but applied the same method of adapting and focusing our energy into what the people in the affected area needed, which are the immediate basics, medical, food, water, shelter, sanitation, as well as the coordinating, monitoring, and distributing of necessary info rmation and supplies.  On the Gulf Coast, there was much more resistance because of politics and red tape.   This is why there are STILL entire parishes (towns) still waiting for the proper AID, AID being the basics.  Six months later, the "basics" in many areas have yet to be addressed.   When things escalate to the point they have, and the system is continuously failing, new methods that have been proven to work, should be applied.  This is why documentation is important.  Not only does it provide visual proof that donors are indeed making a difference, but it serves as a reference tool so we are better prepared for the next disaster.   

In conclusion

CAN-DO is currently regrouping, and developing two new concepts that we feel will be a blueprint for the future of relief work everywhere. First of all, we are tremendously excited about developing our proposal for Community Revitalization Centers. We have already introduced elements of CRC 's into current PODs in the gulf area. Our goal is to develop our vision and have CRCs ready to go before the next hurricane season or after the next disaster.  In order facilitate the success of current PODs, as well as future CRCs, CAN-DO is currently developing a Shared Relief Network to allow any number of aid organizations to communicate via the web. A web-based interface could have immediately remedied many of the communication issues that we read daily in the media.  We propose to provide a network and interface to allow any relief group to upload info rmation as to their physical location, their relief capabilities, and identify any needs or excesses that can benefit the relief community at large. This interactive info rmation-mapping program would also allow remote users to send relief supplies as they are needed to specific areas eliminating the duplication of inventory and AID. Our executive proposal for CRC 's has already earned positive marks from members of FEMA and congress. We are currently networking with organizations on the ground in MS to implement several facets of our proposal.

With hurricane season only four months away, our plan is to help create a better system by developing and improving humanitarian relief efforts.  There are many organizations on the ground in the Gulf Coast making a positive impact on their relief efforts, but we still need help.  Because larger NGO's have "fazed" themselves out, the smaller "grassroots" organizations and faith-based organizations are continuing to provide relief and are now struggling along with the survivors.   Because the news media is no longer reporting it as a priority, we need to stress that the gulf coast is, indeed, still in a dire need of help and will be for a long time.  

Below is a list of organization's that are currently still working on the gulf coast.

Please check back to see our Beta version of the Shared Relief Network.


Report Summary:

Area: Gulf Coast (AL, MS and LA)
Date: September, 2005-february, 2006

*Distribution/French Quarter/Frenchman St.(LA)
*Organization of Registration/ Army Corp of Eng. / Blue Roofs(LA)
*The North Face donates equipment.
*Distribution/Joy Fellowship/ Slidell, (MS)
*Distribution/ Lakeview/ (MS)
    (September 22nd- Evacuated LA, Hurricane Rita and relocated to Biloxi MS.)
*Coordinated Whoopie Goldberg's Mississippi Rising Foundation Distribution and
 Ludke Foundation Distribution. (MS)
*Aided in the renovating of “Fishes and Loaves”, a soup kitchen in Biloxi . (MS)
*Began working out of the East Biloxi Coordination Center . (MS)
*Met with First Lady Marsha Barbour, Bill Stallworth, and Major AJ
  Holloway to proposed plans for CRC 's by using the Duke Elementary school
 as a optical location for FEMA trailers and supply drop for the area. (MS)
*Reported special cases to FEMA Region 4/ Biloxi Coordination Center . (MS)
    (Special Cases involved the elderly and disabled.) (MS, LA)
*Managed distribution East Biloxi Coordination Center. (MS)
*Managed distribution Gulfport DRC (Disaster Relief Center) (MS)
*Set up first POD/Distribution site in Plaquemines Parish. (LA)
*Set up distribution POD drop Venice . (LA)
*Set up first distribution site and POD drop, Venice. (LA)
*Networked with Relief Spark and Burning Man to put on Halloween party for the
  children of Biloxi .
*Allocated warehouse in Biloxi to help alleviate some of the overflow of surplus. (MS)
*Put together and maintained tent city for the fishermen of Venice , LA during 2005
  shrimp season. (LA)
*Set up POD/Distribution (Chua Bo De Temple) Bell Chase, LA
*Consolidated warehouses and managed supply drops coming into the Biloxi.
     BCC ( Biloxi Coordination Center ), Duke (City of Biloxi warehouse), Relief Spark                                                      
    Distribution drops, Burning Man distribution site, Jacksonville FEMA drops.
    (Once consolidated, supplies are then managed, coordinated, loaded onto 
    trucks and driven to appointed Satellite PODS.)
*Mucked out homes (MS, LA)
*Worked with VFW in Bayou La Batre, using their structure as a Distribution point 
 and drop zone. (AL)
*Allocated wheelchairs/crutches for handicapped/injured (MS)
*Provided fuel for displaces families generators (AC/Electricity)(MS, LA)
*Contacted legal aid for illegal eviction notices. (MS)
*Investigated reports of vacant trailers in central Mississippi. (MS)
*Provided heaters for Temple in Bayou La Batre. (AL)
*Provided intake for CRC in E Biloxi (requests for help in rebuilding/cleaning)
*Revamped distribution of clothing at EC.(MS)
*Received commendation from city of Biloxi . (MS)
    ( LINK TO COMMENDATION)
*Working with The Pearlington Interfaith-Interagency Task Force as well as a
Pearlington Recycling Cooperative and the people of Pearlington to strengthen
and build up the POD/ Community Center in Pearlington, (MS)
*Continuing to set up stronger and more long term points of distribution by 
     coordinating efforts through shared network throughout (MS.) and 
     (LA.)

**Because of the fact that CAN-DO supplied clear documentation of all contributions, The North Face has been a major sponsor for CAN-DO throughout the hurricane Katrina relief effort.  Together we were able to distribute top necessities to thousands of needy people.

The North Face Surplus; Received/Distributed 

Inventory- 
 
Equipment:
     Blaze Sleeping Bags
     Down Sleeping Bags
     Synthetic Sleeping Bags
     4 Person, 6 person, 8 Person Tent     
     Rock/Talus/Pebble Tent
     Trail Head Tents
     Bedrock, Foundation/ Boulder
     All other 3 Season Tents     
     Wheeled packs/Duffel/Galileo/Technical     
     Multi-Day Backpacks     
     Day Packs
     Lumbar Packs/Accessories
     Hydration Packs
     Patrol Packs
     Chugash Packs
     Off Chute Packs     
     Shoes                          
     Trail runners/shoes     
     Boots     
     River Rats

Clothing:                                          
    All Insulated/Non-Gore-Tex Jackets/Non-heated MET -5        
    Gore-Tex Jackets     
    Baltoro/Summit /  Himalayan parka     
    Insulated vests     
    All fleece jackets/Liner/Light Jkt     
    All fleece vests/pullover fleece/sweaters
    Gore-Tex pants     
    Non Gore-Tex pants / Windstopper fleece        
    Outerwear suits
    Kids down jackets/vests     
    Kids fleece jackets/vests     
    Kids pants     
    Beanie hats/ Baseball cap     
    Expedition gloves
    Fleece gloves     
    Tekware pants/shirts/shorts/Sweatpants/Sweat shirts(xxxl)          

Total Donated-  $104,290- Wholesale

Summary Distribution points/PODS/Community Outreach. (Sept-Jan 2005)

    New Orleans, LA
    Slidell, LA
    Lakeview, LA
    Biloxi, MS
    Main St.
    BCC
    EBCC
    Fishes and Loaves
    Richmond Funeral Home
    Temple
    (Park behind Fishes and Loaves)
    Gulfport, MS
    DRC
    Good Deeds
    Bayou La Batre, AL
    Pearlington, LA
    Bell Chase, LA
    St Bernard's Parish (Emergency Kitchen), LA
    Buras, LA
    Venice, LA
    Port Sulfer, LA
    Woodlawn, LA

Transportation/Rental: $ 7,913.25
Mileage: 10,168
Gas: $3,162.30


CAN-DO network:
List of Organizations that are currently still on the ground working in the gulf coast.

    Compassion Into Action Network- Direct Outcome Organization
    Hands on USA
    Islamic Relief Worldwide
    American Friends
    Common Ground Relief
    Joy Fellowship
    Relief Spark
    Building Goodness is in Pearlington  
    Mississippi United Methodists
    Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi
    Presbyterians of Mississippi
    One House at A Time
    Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
    Burning Man
    Peace Relief
    Americare
    United Way