Camp Fire USA continues to work with the four councils in Southern Louisiana and two in Texas that were directly affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

As we move forward, Camp Fire USA's continued efforts are as follows:

• Assess opportunities for Camp Fire USA councils across the country to provide assistance to displaced families and youth and to work with appropriate disaster relief agencies to coordinate those efforts; and
• Assist in raising the necessary capital to rebuild the councils.

Individuals and nonprofit organizations: Click here for comprehensive and specific information on how to access Government Assistance and Disaster Relief.

If you are able to help in these efforts, please consider the following:

1) Inform Camp Fire USA National Headquarters.

Call 800 669 6884 or e-mail info@campfireusa.org to let us know what assistance you or your council (if applicable) could provide to those families and youth in need. Please include your name, council (if applicable), telephone number and a detailed explanation of the resources you are offering.

2) Send a monetary donation.

Please make checks payable to Camp Fire USA, write Hurricane Relief Fund on your check, and mail to:
Camp Fire USA
Attn: Hurricane Relief Fund
PO Box 411099
Kansas City, MO 64141-1099

All of the donations received will go directly to the affected councils in Southern Louisiana and Texas to provide needed fuel, food, and supplies and to offset operational and rebuilding costs, and to those councils who are providing assistance to displaced families and youth across the country.

3) Donate goods/supplies/time.

Listed below is the most up-to-date information on Camp Fire USA councils in Southern Louisiana and Texas that are in need. Please review each entry for specific goods and supplies needed. While money can always be used, please contact the council before sending any supplies to see if their needs have changed.

Camp Fire USA Southwest Louisiana Council, Lake Charles
Lake Charles is in the southwest part of the state and, while it was not affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Southwest Louisiana Council was hit by Hurricane Rita. After serving as a refuge for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, who were then evacuated during Hurricane Rita, the council's camp suffered extensive damage from wind and water.

The council is making progress on repairs, but there is still a lot to do. They received an insurance settlement for the roof and sign repair to the program center. However, they are waiting for good weather to begin repairs. At the camp, cabins, dining lodge and shower house are in need of significant repair. The council contracted with a tree company to harvest the trees that were endangering buildings and roads. This will enable volunteer and paid repair crews to access the damaged buildings.

To meet the demand from the schools for their Get Real About Violence self-reliance program, additional staff were hired.

The council is seeking donations to help get the electrical, water and gas back on at camp. Volunteer clean up crews are working at camp every weekend in hopes of being able to open camp this summer. The Rotary Club and a Mormon Church group have designated weekends for their spring clean-up projects. The Local Kiwanis Club, International Kiwanis, Camp Galileo, a private camp in California, Friends of Wi-Ta-Wentin and a Adventure/Discovery Club from Prairie Village, Kansas, have all donated money. Several builders have donated used lumber from buildings that have been bulldozed.

The council needs funds to provide camp scholarships to children that have already suffered devastation and lost almost everything: homes, friends and possessions. They are receiving calls inquiring about camp daily. The Fire Marshall is requiring a new fire suppression system in their dining lodge that is UL300 rated and will cost about $3,500. Without this they will not be able to open camp.

Camp Fire USA Greater New Orleans Council
The impact on this council has been tremendous and will have long-term implications.

Currently, area councils are assisting by providing services to youth and families. The Big River Council will serve schools in two parishes of the Greater New Orleans Council jurisdiction, and the Towazi Council will serve one parish in the Greater New Orleans Council jurisdiction. The Southern Louisiana United Way continues to support these service efforts via the Big River Council. In addition, the Louisiana Governor's Grant dollars continue to provide for in school anti-violence programs, provided by both the Big River and Towazi Councils, at least through the end of this fiscal year.

The council needs interested and committed volunteers to serve on the board, full or part time employees and dollars to replace the funds that would have come from their major funding source, United Way of Greater New Orleans, for maintaining operations and visibility in the area during this time of transition.

Camp Fire USA Towazi Council, Bogalusa
Bogalusa is in southeastern Louisiana near the Mississippi border. The Towazi Council's camp sustained serious damage, including numerous downed trees.

The Towazi council appreciates each of the volunteers who responded to the notices and requests for helping hands to clean and rebuild the camp. With the enthusiastic support of those volunteers, the council has been able to gather most of the remaining trees and brush and to begin the clean up process.

The council is currently in the process of raising the financial resources to renovate buildings in preparation for summer camp.

The council needs funds to hire contractors to remove debris and to rebuild facilities on camp property.

Camp Fire USA Big River Council, Baton Rouge
The Camp Fire USA Big River Council continues to collaborate with parish schools and other social service agencies to meet the needs of those displaced children and families from New Orleans. In addition, the council will provide in school programs to schools in two of the parishes under the New Orleans council jurisdiction. This effort has the financial support of the Southern Louisiana United Way. It is our collaborative effort to continue to meet the needs of the New Orleans Council jurisdiction during this time of transition.

The council needs dollars to cover summer camp scholarships for the children of hurricane evacuees who have migrated to Baton Rouge to attend school. They are mostly from low-income families and would require scholarships to attend camp. The specific amounts per child are $50/day for six days, totaling $300. The councils would like to support as many scholarship cases as possible. It is likely that they will have more applications this year than in the last years combined.

Camp Fire USA Southeast Texas Council, Port Arthur
Due to the timing of the hurricane, the Southeast Texas Council's membership drive was delayed, and, therefore, there was no Candy Sale, and the expected income from the Candy Sale was not realized. Children have just begun registering for Camp Fire USA membership in the last 30 days.

At the camp, there are four cabins that were damaged beyond repair and will not be rebuilt. A logging company has harvested most of the downed and damaged trees, however, the damaged hard wood trees still have not been harvested. The council will have to pay to remove them.

Contractors for office and general construction repairs are unavailable as they are very busy and cannot commit to a specified date for providing estimates nor for completion of repairs.

The council expects cuts from United Way dollars as the campaign dollars raised were at an all time low in Port Arthur, and the United Way office in the Beaumont area was totally destroyed.

The council is still in need of dollars for repairs to office, camp grounds and camp facilities and program support for outreach.

Camp Fire USA Orange Council, Orange, Texas
There has been significant loss of trees both at camp and around the council office in Orange, Texas. There was minimal roof damage to the cabins at camp, but many trees lost. There was also damage to the roof of the office building.

As in most hurricane-damaged cities, contractors are not readily available for estimates nor to do the actual work. They are all very busy and slow to respond to needs. Even telephone lines are still down in areas.

In recent years, the Orange Council has collaborated with the Dupont Corporation to provide summer day camp program to an average of 50 children a day. However, the Dupont facility was damaged very badly. It is unknown at this time if the company will continue to provide the same space for Camp Fire USA summer camp program this year. The executive director is hoping to have access to the same or any other portion of the building and grounds in order to provide these services.

The council needs additional full time staff and dollars for repairs to camp and office properties. The United Way surpassed the agency's goal, however the United Way office was destroyed. Therefore the council expects a decrease in their allocation.