Rebuilding the World a Storm Destroyed

Operation Blessing

THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD Charities face an unprecedented challenge as they help people battered by Hurricane Katrina rebuild. But they have been helped by hundreds of thousands of people who are volunteering with organizations like Operation Blessing, which has been removing trees toppled by the storm.

NEARLY $3.3-BILLION has been raised by the largest U.S. charities in response to Hurricane Katrina, a Chronicle survey has found, some $2.7-billion of which has already been spent on recovery.

ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST, the hurricane still dominates everyday life, and housing is by far the biggest concern.

VOLUNTEERS sponsored by churches and other religious organizations have been critical to the recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast.

EVEN AS THE RECOVERY CONTINUES following Katrina, another hurricane season has arrived and government agencies and nonprofit groups are scrambling to improve their disaster preparedness.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN GROUPS are working to ensure that the racial inequities uncovered by last year’s storms are not perpetuated in the rebuilding.

HOUSTON, which took in more people displaced by Katrina than any other city, is still working to accommodate them, as many continue to look for homes and jobs.

FOUNDATIONS HAVE SPENT some $577-million on hurricane relief, according to a Foundation Center survey, but most have now ended their grant making for post-Katrina efforts, worrying charity leaders.

DISASTER PLANS already in place at many Gulf Coast charities proved no match for Katrina’s fierceness, providing painful lessons for nonprofit managers.

NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVISTS managed to force the closing of a nearby New Orleans landfill, the latest development in a long-running debate about how to dispose of the debris from the hurricane.

HOUSING FOR RELIEF WORKERS in the Gulf Coast is scarce, and expensive, forcing many to live four to a room or on cots lined up in a gymnasium.

SCHOOL LIBRARIES, a lower priority among philanthropists than public libraries, which serve a broader population, are struggling to rebuild collections destroyed by the storm.

A FORMER DEPARTMENT STORE in downtown New Orleans has been converted to house charities displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

OPINION: A year after Hurricane Katrina, Trent Stamp says the real story is how much good charities did in the wake of the disastrous storm, and Tony Pipa recognizes the critical role played by small local groups.