Diocese of New JerseyWe Will Stand With You:
Help our brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast

The opportunities for helping that are listed here are in direct response to expressed needs of the affected dioceses of the Gulf Coast. We'll update this page regularly as new projects or needs arise. Notes in yellow are new postings.

Financial or material assistance

Donations of cash, national store chain gift cards, and other assistance is greatly needed. Read on to see how you can help in specific and important ways.

Contact the Reverend Deacon Catherine Esposito, (732) 583-2690 or the Reverend Brian Burgess, (856) 845-0190 for more information.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteers must be 18 years or older (unless otherwise noted). Requests for information on volunteering should come from the priest in charge of the inquiring congregation.

Contact the Reverend Deacon Catherine Esposito, (732) 583-2690 or the Reverend Brian Burgess, (856) 845-0190 for more information.

Adopt a School in Louisiana
Two Louisiana Episcopal Day Schools are running split sessions to accommodate an influx of displaced children. Because the churches have little or no funding now, financial assistance is needed to keep the schools operating, as many of the children don't pay tuition.  Donations will help pay for operational expenses such as utilities, school supplies, and even salaries. Send donations to

The Rev. Susan Gaumer
St. Andrew's Day School
116 Short Street
New Orleans, LA
70118-2712		 The Rev. Dabney Smith
Trinity School
1329 Jackson Avenue
New Orleans, LA
70130-5798

Substitute teachers needed for parish day schools; must be able to prove credentials of license / certification; volunteers are asked to dedicate a minimum of three weeks to a maximum of three months. Applicants must submit at least to a telephone interview with the school’s director and be able to provide resume, references, and appropriate license.  Housing accommodations will be provided.

Kitchen teams of three to four people are needed to staff kitchens in two New Orleans Episcopal churches and one mobile ecumenical kitchen.  Volunteers are asked to spend three to four days at a time between December 1 and January 15th.

Bishops' Discretionary Funds
Financial assistance is desperately needed for Bishops' discretionary funds for clergy salaries, resources for displaced families (clergy or parishioners, clothing, housing, etc.) Please send donations to:

Diocese of Louisiana
c/o St. James Church
P.O. Box 126
Baton Rouge, LA
70821-0126		 Diocese of Mississippi
PO Box 23107
Jackson, MS
39225-3107

"Hearts and hands" are needed for a relief center in Mississippi that sleeps 200 people per night and feeds thousands. Possible tasks include heating and serving food to evacuees, serving at registration or information desks, cooking or cleaning up in preparation for meals.
Mental health professionals are needed after January 1, 2006 for schools and resource distribution centers in Louisiana.  A 1 to 3 week commitment is requested. Applicant must be able to provide resume and licenses and professional certification.

The Diocese of Mississippi
would greatly appreciate donations of gift cards to the following national chain stores:

Sears Office Max
Old Navy Home Depot
Michaels Arts and Crafts JC Penney
Best Buy PayLess Shoes
K-Mart Sam's Club
Target Wal-Mart
Circuit City Verizon Wireless
Radio Shack Vitamin Shoppe
Lowes Pier 1 Imports
Toys R Us  

Mail gift cards to:
  Camp Coast Care
  c/o Coast Episcopal School
  5065 Espy Ave.
  Long Beach, MS 39560

Social workers, psychologists and other mental health care providers are needed.  Applicants must provide appropriate license and certification paperwork.
Health care workers with all levels of experience are needed for a relief center in Mississippi.  Applicants must provide appropriate license and certification credentials.
The Diocese of Louisiana needs Mental Health Professionals for direct counseling services and suicide-prevention hotline phone operators. Volunteers work in teams both at a fixed site and within a mobile counseling center. Must have current professional credentials and be available to serve in the recovery field for a period of one to three weeks. This ministry is being coordinated for the area of the North Shore of Lake Poncetrain (Covington and Slidell, Louisiana). Housing arrangements provided. The diocese is interested in coordinating with psychologists, psychiatrists, critical incident stress managers, and licensed social workers.
     If you're interested, have your priest in charge call either Fr. Brian Burgess (856) 845-0190 or Deacon Catherine Esposito (732) 583-2690 for more information.

For youth groups and other parish groups: the Diocese of Mississippi needs your help in assembling kits: personal care, first aid, or protective gear, for home and school use. They're easy to assemble and can make all the difference in the world.

Click here to open a window with the inventory of the kit items.

Email Holly Heine <hheine@stjamesbr.org> in the office of Disaster Response in Diocese of Mississippi for more infomation on the kits and where to send them.

 
   
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