* Funds Support Post-Katrina Recovery Efforts *
STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- AmeriCares has awarded $3.2
million in grants to address the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery needs of
mental health care professionals and primary care providers in Louisiana.
Working in collaboration with two established local foundation partners,
the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Community Foundation of Acadiana in
Lafayette, the AmeriCares grants are supporting 33 different projects
across the state.
With the support of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, AmeriCares was
able to identify and evaluate local mental health service providers and
their needs. The original grant application was mailed to more than 100
state agencies, with more than 40 submitting proposals. AmeriCares has
awarded 19 grants totaling $1.85 million, ranging in size from $37,500 to
$100,000. Among those receiving grants are the Baton Rouge Crisis
Intervention Center, Covenant House New Orleans, Kids in Crisis, and the
Southern Law Enforcement Foundation, the latter which will use its funds to
expand mental health benefits offered to police officers in the parishes
most impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
AmeriCares' primary healthcare grant program was launched with the help
of Community Foundation of Acadiana (CFA), which identified local primary
care service providers in need, especially those who experienced an
increased case load since last fall. AmeriCares has awarded 14 grants
totaling $1.4 million to groups ranging from the American Lung Association
of Louisiana to St. Thomas Health Services in New Orleans. The American
Lung Association will use the funds to assist individuals who are suffering
from abnormal lung function as a result of the mold, air pollution and
other problems associated with Katrina and Rita. St. Thomas Health Services
will use its grant to increase its pediatric services for its community
health center serving the uninsured.
For a complete list of grant recipients, log onto http://www.americares.org.
"After being in the Gulf region early on in the disaster, we recognized
that the long-term efforts were going to be just as important as the
immediate relief needs," says Trish Tweedley, vice president of AmeriCares
hurricane relief program. "Our program was developed to meet the immediate
needs of the evacuees as well as address long-term efforts. Our
collaboration with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Community Foundation
of Acadiana was instrumental in letting us identify the local agencies that
are doing their best to meet their community needs but are also in need
themselves, lacking the physical, financial or human resources to provide
service."
"Our foundation has discovered that more than 15,000 people in the area
are suffering from the aftereffects of Katrina," said John Davies,
president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. "Funding from
AmeriCares will not only provide relief for the people in the affected
areas but also for the agencies that have been stretched by the shift in
population to Baton Rouge and other communities."
AmeriCares has been working in the area since Hurricane Katrina
devastated the region. Over the past year, AmeriCares delivered more than
$10 million in in-kind donations of medicines, medical supplies and other
aid to Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Earlier this year,
AmeriCares awarded $1.6 million in grants to local agencies through its
"small grant recovery program," focusing on unmet needs throughout
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. To learn more, visit the website at
http://www.americares.org.
AmeriCares is a nonprofit international disaster relief and
humanitarian aid organization, which provides immediate response to
emergency medical needs and supports long-term humanitarian assistance
programs around the world. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has
distributed more than $5 billion in humanitarian aid to 137 countries. For
five years in a row, AmeriCares has been given a four-star rating from
Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating, indicating effective
management practices.
CONTACT:
AMERICARES
Beth Walsh: 203-658-9578
Danielle Fiori: 203-658-9579
SOURCE AmeriCares
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Related links:
http://www.americares.org
CONTACT:
Beth Walsh, +1-203-658-9578, or Danielle
Fiori, +1-203-658-9579, both for AmeriCares
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