The Gulf of Mexico oil spill which began on April 20th and continues to this day has spewed out an estimated 20 to 40 million gallons of oil. One disastrous result is the closing down of fishing grounds and oyster beds, leaving fishermen and their families who are still recovering from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in need of emergency relief. Learn more about the need and charitable response in the article shared below.
From The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
"Since the oil spill started...food pantries and feeding programs along the state's southern coast have seen a 15 to 25 percent increase in requests for assistance...
Fishing families were hard hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and as a result many don't have a financial cushion to fall back on, says Colleen D'Aquin Bosley, regional director of disaster preparedness and response at Catholic Charities.
‘Many of them have taken out loans and other types of assistance to get their businesses back up and running,' she says. ‘They just don't have the funds saved up. Katrina and Rita depleted those funds for these folks, so they're living paycheck to paycheck.'"
Full Article: "Fishermen and Others Turn to Charities for Aid Along the Gulf Coast"