LAPLACE — The St. John United Way Board of Directors approved $125,000 in funding to the St. John the Baptist Parish Long Term Recovery Group to assist residents in their recovery from Hurricane Isaac.

St. John United Way is actively participating in the SJBP LTRG. The long term recovery group is made up of non-profit, faith-based, governmental, business and other organizations and agencies providing financial support, material and/or labor to address the needs of St. John the Baptist Parish residents in response to damage sustained from Hurricane Isaac and subsequent disasters as needed.  

The organizations involved in the SJBP LTRG involved include Catholic Charities, BRACES, UMCOR, New Wine Development Corporation, United Way, St. John the Baptist Parish and many others. These organizations are working in various subcommittees based on the type of skills or support they provide. The subcommittees include case management, volunteer and donation coordination, construction cleanup and unmet needs.  

“St. John United Way understands the necessity of having a collaborative approach to our community’s recovery,” said Trista Brazan, SJUW executive director.

“Through the continuous support and generosity of our donors, we are excited to be able to make a substantial investment in the recovery efforts. The recovery is only limited to the amount of resources available. We hope this substantial donation can help families return home as soon as possible.”

To date, the SJBP LTRG has processed more than 800 requests for assistance from individuals who sustained damaged as a result of Hurricane Isaac. The long term recovery group has been able to fully complete 72 cases mostly utilizing donated supplies and volunteer assistance. The SJBP LTRG has utilized around 450 volunteers, totaling over 7,100 volunteer hours.  

Residents needing assistance recovering from damage sustained through Hurricane Isaac can call 985-359-0254 or email isaacassistance@sjbparish.com. Residents can also visit the SJBP LTRG Volunteer Reception Center at 1933 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.

Additionally, St. John United Way has also developed a rebuilding initiative called

NO Place Like Home. NO Place Like Home serves as a resource to help support rebuilding efforts throughout the community to ensure families are able to return to safe, secure and functional homes as quickly as possible.  

Since Sept. 19, St. John United Way has distributed $200,000 in funding to assist with hurricane relief and recovery efforts in St. John the Baptist Parish through the work of American Red Cross, VIA LINK 2-1-1, Catholic Charities, Second Harvest Food Bank, the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts and the SJBP LTRG.

Donations to St. John United Way for hurricane recovery are being used to support work done through the SJBP LTRG and NO Place Like Home. No administrative fees are assessed on donations made for hurricane recovery, and all donations are tax deductible.  

Donations can be made online at www.stjohnunitedway.org or sent to P.O. Box 2019, Reserve, LA 70084. Please make donations payable to St. John United Way and include the hurricane recovery program (either SJBP Long Term Recovery Group or NO Place Like Home) in the memo line.

For more information on how you can support St. John the Baptist Parish recovery efforts, call 985-651-9118 or email tbrazan@stjohnunitedway.org.