Amy Lesen, Dillard University Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center and Antioch University Graduate School of Leadership and Change
Feroz Khan, Dillard University Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center
Innovation and Description: Immediate and Sustained Post-Disaster Community Engagement and Mutual Aid
During and after Hurricane Ida in 2021, we worked together and with mutual aid and other networks, leaders, and community members across southeastern Louisiana and beyond, to get crucially needed supplies to affected communities immediately, and ensure that availability of supplies was sustained. As well, we learned how to pivot immediately, led by community members and leaders, to address new and different needs as they arose. We also sustained out relationships and communications with affected communities years after the disaster, understanding the long term nature of disaster recovery.
Primary Disaster Justice Benefits:
Modeling how to work across communities, organizations, and sectors to be immediately responsive to the voiced needs of disaster-affected communities.
Secondary Disaster Justice Benefits:
Learning and modeling how to remain connected to affected communities over years of disaster recovery.
Would you recommend others (disaster survivors, disaster-impacted communities) learn more about the activity, project or program to consider adoption of a similar one?
Yes.
What refinements additional to the ones you have implemented would you recommend others consider if they wish to adopt the activity, project or program?
Being extremely flexible as needs change over both the short and long term after a disaster.