The mission of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is to facilitate human recovery in the wake of disaster, both natural and man-made. The Recovery Corps works to support its mission by:

• Connecting disaster-impacted Louisiana citizens with resources, services, and information;
• Coordinating the resources and service provision of the non-profit sector in the wake of disasters;
• Communicating the availability of resources and services in the wake of disaster; and
• Assisting the state and federal governments in preparing for the aftermath of catastrophic events by creating and enacting long-term human recovery plans that are aligned among all sectors (government, non-profit, and private).

While much has been accomplished in the recovery effort since Hurricane Katrina washed ashore in 2005, the truth is that never before has the type of devastation associated with the impact of four major hurricanes in such a short period of time been seen in the United States. It should come as no surprise that Louisiana is just steps into the long, difficult journey of recovery, a process that for some will no doubt last many generations.

While hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike dealt crippling blows to the state of Louisiana, we were not the only state impacted. Whether it was a direct hit from the storms and their remnants or impacts felt by states caused by our citizens fleeing from the storms and being housed in shelters across the country, most of the mainland United States felt some effect from the various hurricanes.

These were, by all accounts, national disasters. Billions of federal dollars have been spent to facilitate recovery. The nation’s vital petroleum infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico and in coastal Louisiana and Texas were greatly impacted. And the devastation to Louisiana’s agricultural and seafood industries forced prices for seafood, rice, cotton, and other crops to rise across the nation.

In Louisiana, the storms did not discriminate as it relates to those who were impacted. According to Recovery Corps research, the effects of Katrina and Rita were widespread among all races, ages, socio-economic groups, and working classes.

In fact, Recovery Corps research shows that many of those affected by Katrina and Rita were employed and owned their own homes. We have evidenced this first-hand, as the Recovery Corps has provided direct assistance to moms and dads, executives, plumbers, college students, doctors, bus drivers, and many more. A study of those affected by Gustav and Ike will likely return similar results. In short, people from all walks of life needed assistance getting back on their feet following these storms, and the Recovery Corps has been there, providing programs and services that are not simply handouts but instead are based on professional assessment, swift action, and personal accountabilities.

We are all well-aware of many of the missteps that have slowed recovery in Louisiana since 2005. From a failure on the federal government’s part to act quickly and decisively by providing resources to the state and funding critical programs to the state’s inability to efficiently and effectively deliver resources and access to services to its citizens, there is much blame to go around. The non-profit sector also had its faults, as there were so many people offering so many resources that not all of it was spent and distributed as efficiently and effectively as possible.

However, simply spreading blame and rehashing old failures will not provide our citizens the opportunities they drastically need to bring normalcy and stability back to their lives.

August and September of 2009 will mark four years since Katrina and Rita battered the shores of Louisiana. This year will also mark the first anniversary of Gustav and Ike. With the impacts of these storms on the minds of people across the state and the country for so long, we must be careful to not allow hurricane fatigue to set in. Failing to act could cause dire consequences for our state and our nation for generations to come. This is not an option, and this is why there is an ongoing need for an organization such as the Recovery Corps.

No longer focused on fill-the-gap type services, the Recovery Corps is now focused on the long-term viability of the state and the country in the wake of disasters. While we still offer outcome-based programs to impacted families when resources are made available for those purposes, the Recovery Corps is now focused on finding solutions that will lessen Louisiana's vulnerability and ensure the state and the nation are prepared for the next disaster.

In that vein, the Recovery Corps is working with state officials and various state agencies develop a long-term human recovery plan. It is also doing similar work with federal partners to develop a long-term human recovery plan for the nation. Neither exist today, making families and individuals extremely vulnerable as it relates to recovering from a catastrophic event.

Part of the work to develop long-term human recovery plans for the state and the nation is facilitating integration and coordination across state and federal agencies and the non-profit sector. Without all of the key components of the governmental sector alingned, no long-term human recovery plan will work. Similarly, without an aligned governmental sector properly coordinated with the non-profit sector, any long-term human recovery plan will be rendered useless.

Finally, the Recovery Corps is focused on what it considers "man-made disasters" that leave Louisiana families and individuals vulnerable. Poor healthcare systems, poor public education, limited access to social services, broken social systems, inadequate criminal justice systems, generational poverty, and college graduates leaving the state are all issues that the Recovery Corps considers man-made disasters and all issues that continue to hold back Louisiana residents. The Recovery Corps has begun to focus on those issues and will continue to make improving them a core mission in ultimately ensuring Louisiana families' abilities to survive and remain self-sufficient in the wake of a catastrophic event.