“I had a house before the Hurricane. Now I have a tree house – my house is in a tree.” August 2005

“Things here in Biloxi are exciting, frustrating, interesting, sad and joyful: a real rollercoaster of an emotional experience.”  May 2006

In the face of the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, the will and determination of Gulf Coast residents affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita is inspiring as they rebuild their lives and revive their communities. Thanks to our family of donors, Operation USA raised over $2.2 million in cash and $6 million worth in supplies.

Although there has been significant progress in much of the region, many residents are still struggling to reconstruct their lives. Operation USA continues to respond to unmet needs. One of the most pressing, but less obvious problems is the rise of mental health issues created by a disaster of this magnitude. Operation USA is responding to this crisis and making it an important part of our ongoing relief effort.

Mental health consequences, such as post traumatic stress disorder and depression, run deep and linger for months, sometimes years, after a disaster, varying in intensity and duration based upon the individual. To address mental health concerns, Operation USA is supporting clinic partners who provide mental health assessments and intervention programs and supporting the hiring of licensed clinical social workers who offer mental health services and counseling to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The affected population includes not only evacuees, but also the thousands of rescue workers, emergency medical professionals and disaster recovery experts engaged in search and rescue.

The ramifications of this disaster increased awareness about California’s response system to a large-scale disaster. Operation USA is applying “lessons learned” from the Gulf Coast to our disaster preparedness programs for community health clinics and residents in California. For more information about Operation USA’s California preparedness plan, please click here.

Rapid Response

As first responders to the area, Operation USA rapidly sent a wide range of emergency supplies to community-based clinics in both rural and urban areas. (For a list of these supplies, please click here.) These clinics were either a) directly damaged but able to remain open; b) destroyed or abandoned; or, c) overwhelmed by a massive influx of relocated people in need of immediate medical and mental health care.

Financial Assistance and Long Term Development

Within three weeks of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, Operation USA made a series of grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 to our partner clinics and in October a second set of grants was made, some for as much as $45,000. Today, Operation USA is funding 50 clinics. For a list of clinics who were recipients of these grants, please click here.

To read about Operation USA's November 2006 series of grants to community clinics on the Gulf Coast, please click here. To view a list of the clinics who were recipients of this round of grants, please click here.

As a small disaster relief group, Operation USA has nonetheless played a large role in helping nonprofit service agencies assist hundreds of thousands of people on the Gulf Coast.  The grants we have made and the careful work we have done in determining where and how to spend our donors’ funds are intended to allow recipient agencies to reach out to other potential donors who might match these grants we have made.

First-hand Field Reports

Susan Fassig and Sothida Tan traveled to the Gulf region in June 2006 to evaluate and assets our projects and gather information to help them make future funding decisions. Their field report captures the challenges community clinics are still facing today. Please click here to read their brief report.

In mid-October 2005, just weeks after the flooding of the levees in New Orleans, Neil Frame and Tony Shannon, staff members of Operation USA, visited the Gulf region. They drove 1,500 miles in eight days to survey the distribution of twenty truckloads of medical and hygiene supplies, pharmaceuticals, power generators and portable lighting sets. Their trip report gives a glimpse into the immediate impact of the hurricane….to read more, please click here.

Celebrating our Generous Donors

Operation USA’s community of donors (individuals, schools, corporations, foundations, dance academies, restaurants, etc…) is compassionate and dedicated. For example, The Manhattan Beach, California-based Independent Book Publishers Association donated books to help restock libraries destroyed by flooding. Club owner Anthony Koslowsky and restaurant owners Matt, Iman and Cassandra Epuna hosted fundraisers collecting donations from patrons. Your response to help others living hundreds of miles away was inspiring. You are our heroes and we thank you.