WE NEED HELP!
CAN-DO shines in Mississippi!
On 3/9/2006, CAN-DO attended the Governor’s Long Term Recovery Meeting in Gulfport, Mississippi. We were personally invited by the Governor of Mississippi and First Lady to to present our proposal on Community Revitalization Centers (CRCs). While representing CAN-DO, I had the opportunity to meet personally with Governor Haley Barbour.
We are proud to announce that the CAN-DO proposal for Community Revitalization Centers is now being used as a model by the state of Mississippi.
CAN-DO has upcoming projects we are working on and desperately need funding in order to carry them out. In Mississippi we have the Reynolds Center Project, (which can be viewed on our home page). In Buras, LA we are focusing on several locations to set up a larger distribution site as well as a location where we can possibly stage volunteers to help clean up the schools, churches, cemeteries and parks. We also need help with a laundry facility. There is STILL nowhere for these people to do laundry, or take a shower. If you can help out with this please contact us ASAP.
Meanwhile, in Southern Louisiana….
In Plaquemines Parish, the local government is still not making things any easier for the citizens wanting to come home. Officials have still maintained road blockages, and have suggested that “…the area is still unsafe.” Unfortunately, this may be the case. However, residents continue to flow back into the area with their families, and they want to rebuild. So, the way we see is, we had better start addressing the needs of this community now. Especially, with hurricane season right around the corner.
Another possible explanation for the road blocks, and safety concerns is the little reported, less talked about spillage of oil. Spillage from Katrina resulted in the second largest oil spill in history (The 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill dumped 240,000 barrels of crude oil into the waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound) From what we understand there were 40 spills, 10 of which were major and out of those 40 spills, at least 90,000 barrels remain “unaccounted for”. Over 3.7 million gallons or 193,000 barrels of oil and other petrochemicals have been spilled into the ecosystems and populated areas of the Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes. We were told by inside sources that reporters would “loose their jobs” if they reported on any type of environmental issues. This begs the question: “Why has there been such a lack of attention on this issue?”
This part of Louisiana wetlands produces a third of the nation’s commercial seafood and over a billion pounds of fish, crab and oysters annually with a dockside value of about $350 million. This area also is the center of a thriving sports-fishing industry, valued at more than $1 billion a year, which is why it is important that more attention and news coverage should be brought to this area. Where we, CAN-DO, are set up in Plaquemines Parish, see more and more residence coming home wanting to rebuild. So, whatever the reason, there is not much focus on this parish, and we want to make sure that the safety and needs of these people are met.
Please email us with your question, comment or support!!
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