disaster management is our specialty.
HandsOn New Orleans was born out of the aftermath and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, we have worked tirelessly over the last decade to respond to disasters such as Hurricane Gustav, the Great Flood of 2016, and Hurricane Harvey. Most recently, we aided in the recovery of Southwest Louisiana from devastation caused by Hurricane Laura while continuing our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
See our current and past response efforts below
Hurricane Ida Relief
HandsOn generated $5,881,103 in community savings for Hurricane Ida relief by operating a state-wide donations warehouse to receive and distribute donated relief items. The number includes the value of the 13M+ donated items distributed plus the value of 1,690 recruited volunteers who gave their time serving 103 community partners. HandsOn distributed goods to 44 recruited relief agencies 160 times during our 72 business days of operations. An estimated 417,362 survivors or 52% of valid FEMA registrations received goods and services. We served 21 of the 25 declared parishes.
HURRICANES LAURA, DELTA, ZETA
The 2020 hurricane season was historic and relentless. As a city that knows the difficulties of recovering from a disaster, we welcomed and served over 12,000 evacuees after Hurricane Laura. HandsOn assumed management of the city’s Evacuee Resource Center and distributed over 1.7M donated items to evacuees. Further, we established a Multi-Agency Warehouse in Ponchatoula and delivered needed supplies to communities across Louisiana, putting $2.8M in impact back into the hands of survivors.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
In the sea of federal relief programs during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified a need in the New Orleans senior population. We designed new programs to deliver weekly meals and offer wellness check-ins to homebound seniors and adjusted volunteer activities to be COVID safe. In 9 months we recruited 4,500 volunteers for our COVID response.
HURRICANE HARVEY
As New Orleanians, we deeply empathized with the survivors of Hurricane Harvey and used our resources and efforts to “Pay it Forward” to our nearby neighbors in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. We led home gutting efforts in Port Arthur as well as coordinated volunteers in Lake Charles for continued recovery efforts.
FEB. 2017 TORNADO
An EF3 tornado hit New Orleans east in Feb 2017 destroying homes, leaving thousands without power, and causing over $2.7 million in damages. We led over 240 volunteers in recovery efforts ranging from clearing debris to cleaning out homes.
GREAT FLOOD OF 2016
Twenty-one surrounding parishes were declared federal disaster areas after continuous rain caused major flooding in Louisiana. We stepped in to help aid in the recovery process by managing a long-term donation center in Hammond, mucking and gutting over two dozen homes, as well as rehab-ing a Head Start center, church, and playground.