How to Help New Orleans in the Wake of Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida battered the Southeastern coast of Louisiana on Sunday, August 29, as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in the region without power or water and with no timeline for when utilities may be restored. Those who evacuated the area have been urged to stay where they are for now, but plenty of people who remain in the region, particularly within the hardest-hit communities of the River Parishes located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, are in dire need of support.

In New Orleans, local mutual aid organizations like Imagine Water Works, Culture Aid NOLA, and El Pueblo NOLA have hit the ground running — much like they did in the aftermaths of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Zeta and through the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic. National and regional organizations like World Central Kitchen and Second Harvest Food Bank are here feeding residents alongside them, operating out of food trucks to serve hot meals and distributing food and water. Additionally, community members are contributing resources to a Google Doc compiling Hurricane Ida relief, which includes businesses that are currently open for food, water, gas, and more.

To be sure, there is a great deal of need for hot meals, prepared non-perishable food items, generators, and charging stations in the region right now. Looking for ways to help Louisianans recovering from Hurricane Ida? Here’s where to start.

If you know of a mutual aid fund, charitable organization, or other grassroots group that’s helping people on the ground right now, email the details to nola@eater.com. This guide will continue to be updated.

Mutual Aid, Hunger Relief Organizations, and Community Orgs

Crescent City Farmers Market — New Orleans’s farmers market network, Market Umbrella, has reignited its Crescent Fund — all donations will go directly to the farmers, fishers, ranchers, and food producers of the Crescent City Farmers Market community.

Culture Aid NOLA — Culture Aid NOLA is a non-profit food and resource center in New Orleans providing direct assistance to underserved members of the community. Help them feed New Orleans in response to Hurricane Ida by donating here.

Feed the Second Line — Feed the Second Line, which has worked throughout the pandemic to buy and deliver groceries and meals to New Orleans culture bearers, is putting together a crew to repair (tarp) roofs to ensure that damaged homes don’t experience any further damage from the elements in the days ahead. Donate to their Ida efforts here.

GoFundMe Verified Fundraisers — GoFundMe is compiling verified fundraisers to help those affected by Hurricane Ida. Here is the link to the centralized hub of fundraisers, which will continue to be updated.

House of Tulip — House of Tulip has created a rapid response fund for transgender and gender non-conforming community members directly impacted by Hurricane Ida. Request help with this form, and see here to donate.

Imagine Water Works — Imagine Water Works leads the Mutual Aid Response Network, a group of Louisiana residents that activates during floods, storms, and other natural and manmade disasters. Its Hurricane Ida Relief & Recovery fund will support relief and recovery efforts — led by locals — in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Its Facebook page allows members to post offers, requests, resources, and action.

El Pueblo NOLA — El Pueblo NOLA - NOLA Village is a grassroots community organization in the Village de l’Est neighborhood of New Orleans East, run by organizer Cristiane Rosales-Fajardo. Donate directly to Cristi via cash app ($CristiNola) or to its ongoing COVID relief fund.

Little Woods Co-Op — This worker-owned cooperative cafe and grocery in the Little Woods community of New Orleans is cooking up meals and delivery groceries for free to the community as of Monday, August 30 — donate to their efforts via Venmo, @LittleWoodsCoop. Message them on Instagram to request meal or grocery delivery.

LowerNine.org — This local non-profit is dedicated to the long-term recovery of New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward from Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches of 2005; donate to its Hurricane Ida relief fund here.

Rebuilding Together — Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO) is working to help the clean-up and long-term recovery efforts for Hurricane Ida, and there are a few ways to help: by donating materials through RTNO’s Amazon wish list or by making a donation to its Hurricane Ida disaster recovery fund. If you have been impacted, the crisis clean-up hotline number is (844) 965-1386.

Step Up Louisiana — Step Up Louisiana is a community based organization committed to building power to win education and economic justice for all in the face of structural racism. To request support for resources, fill out this form, and to donate to the efforts see here.

Volunteer Opportunities

Culture Aid NOLA — Culture Aid is seeking volunteers on Tuesday, August 31 at the Howlin’ Wolf (907 S. Peters Street) to help with food preparation, packing, and loading. They are also seeking volunteers with trucks for distribution, food containers, and to-go boxes. Email ellie@cultureaidnola.org to RSVP.

Mutual Aid Disaster Relief — Mutual Aid Disaster Relief’s volunteer sign-up form in response to Hurricane Ida is here; you can also email mutualaiddisasterrelief@gmail.com or message via Facebook.

NOCHI — New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute is working with World Central Kitchen and is in ​need of an electrical engineer or electrician to help connect their hoods to generator power. If you or someone you know can help, send an email.

World Central Kitchen — ​​Volunteers are needed for community feeding efforts. Service industry preferred, but all assistance welcomed. Minors are welcome with adult supervision. Sign up for a shift here: ida.wck.volunteerhub.com

• For Hurricane Laura Evacuees, Food Is Often Served Cold. This Mutual Aid Group Delivers Appliances to Help.
• NOLA Community Organizations Distribute Meals as Power Outages From Hurricane Zeta Continue
• The Eater New Orleans Guide on How to Help During the Crisis