Hurricane relief groups desperate for food, water donations for Laura victims

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) -Groups from New Orleans are scrambling to gather food and water for those who lost everything after hurricane Laura.

Second Harvest Food Bank and other organizations say they’re desperate for donations and volunteers after seeing the massive scale of damage across much of the state.

Jay Vise with Second Harvest says it wasn’t until he arrived at the staging area in Lafayette that he realized the devastation was on a much larger scale than he could have imagined stretching from Calaseiu Parish, up the I-49 corridor, all the way to Shreveport.

“We are doing everything we can. There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people that are displaced from their home. I’m in Lafayette where every hotel is full, every hotel from here to Baton Rouge is full of folks,” said Vise. “The communications blackout that the storm caused is just now getting better so we’re just finding out how bad this is.”

Amy Sins is part of Flood and Disaster Outreach made up of cooks in the New Orleans area and has partnered with churches like The Good Shepard in Metairie to gather hundreds of gallons of water. They have also partners with Second Harvest to deliver food.

“The effort is massive and we really need to step up. Sadly here in southwestern Louisiana we are no stranger to disaster, but the good part is we have a network in place, we know how to respond. Two days before the storm, I was getting calls from people asking how they can help,” Sins said “We have teams of chefs that are in their kitchens right now, even restaurants that are currently closed. They have their teams of cooks in there cooking food that will be bagged and sealed and sent out into the community.”

After months of constant food drives to help those suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jay Vise says as long as there are those willing to help, their mission won’t stop.

“It’s a group effort. That’s a cliche’, but it is so very true right now.”

Vise says the best way to help is by going to no-hunger.org where you can find out more about how to donate your time, money, or food and water.

Every one dollar donated can supply up to four meals for those in need.

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