Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Faculty member asking for help for rural Louisiana
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In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, most of the nation’s attention and resources are directed toward urban areas. Rural areas are the last to receive help. Mary Morris, USI assistant professor of political science, worked for the Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA) a not-for-profit organization with a mission to eradicate poverty in rural Louisiana, in 2001-2002, before completing work on her Ph.D. SMHA assisted victims of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and has established a Recovery Fund for people affected by this year’s hurricane season. “A lot of areas that were hit by Hurricane Andrew were affected again by Rita,” Morris said. “This agency works with areas that were hit by Katrina and Rita, so now they have double the problem.” Many of those affected are either farmers or fishermen – people already under the stress of international trade agreements, who now have lost their homes and their means of livelihood. Crops are gone, fisheries are destroyed, and many don’t have the insurance to rebuild. “After events like this, people focus on the urban areas,” Morris said. “So if you’re focusing on the media coverage, everyone is like, ‘New Orleans, New Orleans, New Orleans!’ So it’s harder for rural areas to receive the resources they need to cope with natural disasters." It’s a situation that the SMHA knows, from its work on Hurricane Andrew, isn’t likely to be noticed any time soon. While the government and others focus on the great needs of urban areas, rural areas go largely untouched. Morris notes that rural people don’t receive nearly enough to recover from their losses. “These people have lost everything,” she said. “They’ve lost their house, they’ve lost their job, and insurance – if they had it – doesn’t really cover it. “A lot of people didn’t have the money to leave, and didn’t have the money to protect themselves. The amount of money they are going to receive isn’t going to be enough to help set them back on the right track.” That’s why Morris, along with the SMHA, is looking for help for that area. “I do want people to donate to the SMHA, because they are very good at crisis management, and they do need help,” she said. Anyone interested in donating can visit the group’s Web site at www.southernmutualhelp.org, or can contact Morris at 812/461-5207. |
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