In the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which laid waste to much of New Orleans and other portions of Louisiana and Mississippi, The Jewish Federation created a Hurricane Relief Fund to provide direct assistance to those in the Jewish and general communities affected by the disaster. The Federation made an initial pledge of $100,000, and its donors came through with nearly $2.5 million to support the displaced residents of the Gulf Coast. These funds were instrumental in aiding both the immediate needs of shelter, food and clothing, and the  rebuilding both physical and psychic infrastructure to enable people to return to some sort of normalcy.

In addition to raising emergency financial resources, the Federation worked with several of its beneficiary agencies to establish emergency support for several hundred displaced residents who came to Los Angeles seeking either temporary or permanent refuge. Through Jewish Family Service and Jewish Vocational Service, in particular, individuals and families received counseling, job training and placement support, food, medical support and help finding places to live.

Few events have galvanized people across the country to provide strong support to residents of another region. According to a survey taken two weeks after the hurricane, 80 percent of Americans had given or intended to give to relief efforts. The Jewish Federation was proud to take a lead role, with others nationwide, in spurring that trend.