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Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. Destruction was tremendous and widespread. The UUA Southwest District Leadership put out a call to UU congregations throughout the country for partnership support for the affected UU congregations on the Gulf Coast. In October our OUUC Board agreed to partner with the North Shore Unitarian Universalists Society located in Lacombe, LA on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. NSUU serves a large geographic area extending north and westward as much as 30 miles and a similar distance east into neighboring Mississippi. Ginny Taylor has agreed to be the coordinator from our congregation for this effort. Other committee members include Ann Kirchhoff, Carol Allen, and Carol Horner.
Four other UU congregations around the country have also committed to partnering with NSUU - UU Society of Wellesley Hills, MA; First Church Unitarian, Littleton, MA; First UU Church of San Diego; and Second Unitarian Church, Chicago. Dec. 8-11 Ginny and a representative from each of the four other partnering UU churches traveled to New Orleans and toured hard hit parts of the city as well as the north shore. They met with the NSUU leadership and congregation in a series of discussions to learn more about the impact of the hurricane on individual lives and on the life of the church. It was a fruitful time together. The mission of our effort is to sustain the NSUU church community and to support its efforts to heal and to grow. They have lost about 20% of their members who have relocated, and they are looking for ways to attract potential new members from the thousands who are moving across the lake from the city to the north shore. The team looked at both the devastation and the beauty of the area; they listened to stories of personal loss and displacement; they discussed ways in which our partnering congregations could assist both individual members and the church body in their recovery. North Shore needs financial and moral support as well as our input regarding organizational infrastructure.
Many from our congregation wrote letters of support, and our children made cards which were taken to NSUU in December. These were greatly appreciated. Christmas and Valentine cards, each signed by over 100 OUUC members were sent to NSUU. Our OUUC Board members have been put in contact with their counterparts at NSUU and encouraged to write messages of support to them. A list of our committee chairs with email addresses has been sent to them in case they wish input from our committees. Anyone who would like to write to someone at NSUU, contact Ginny Taylor vnt1213@aol.com
In February, 2006 the five partnering UU churches together with the North Shore UU Partner Committee created the Katrina Relief Grants Program. A fund was established to which the five partnering churches could make contributions. An application form was created and made available to NSUU members, and those returned were evaluated by the five church point people, and grants were given. Grants have covered medical costs, housing, groceries, and other needs. OUUC contributed $1000 from the New Orleans French Market Soup Mix fundraiser in January and February, 2006. Many thanks to Evelyn Greenberg and Ruth Weber for their inspired idea and hard work, to Riley McLaughlin for his graphics and publicity, and to all those who purchased the packets of mix.
The North Shore minister resigned, effective February 19, 2006. Our minister, Art Vaeni, traveled to Lacombe to serve the North Shore UU church and its members for three weeks in April. The Reverend Carol McKinley, member of our congregation and recently ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, also served the North Shore for two weeks in May. These gifts of service sustained the North Shore congregation and strengthened the bond of friendship between our two congregations. A special offering was taken upon Art’s return to OUUC. $2400 was sent to North Shore to help with their church expenses.
Our Five-Church Team visit in December overlapped with the last few days of a 3 week visit by UU minister, the Reverend Beth Miller, from the UU Church of the Monterey Peninsula in Carmel, CA. Read her excellent descriptive sermon to her own congregation upon returning home. Read or listen to Art Vaeni’s sermon to OUUC , April 30, 2006 after returning from North Shore , “ What I Learned in Louisiana”, and Carol McKinley’s sermon July 16, 2006, “ Remembering Louisiana”. Read also Karen Giger's description of "Life in New Orleans, January 30, 2006" and her other haunting piece "Ghost Walking".
Recovery for those who experienced the devastation of Hurricane Katrina is ongoing. Facing a new hurricane season is especially daunting.
The most pressing request from North Shore to us: “Please don’t forget us.”
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