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SWLA Volunteer Opportunities
As Southwest Louisiana is rebuilding and moving forward in a positive direction, there are many agencies and organizations that are developing volunteer opportunities to uplift communities throughout Calcasieu Parish. Please submit events open to volunteers by utilizing the form below. If you are a volunteer coordinator, you may also fill out this form to be included in future communications from the Visit Lake Charles team.
Relief/Volunteer Organizations
Hurricanes Laura and Delta brought unforeseen challenges to many residents in Southwest Louisiana. There are agencies and faith-based organizations that are working to bring relief to those who are struggling during this difficult time. Please consider donating to or volunteering with one of the local organizations to help #RebuildSWLA.
United Way of Southwest Louisiana:
United Way of SWLA continues to focus on measurable results while meeting critical health and human service needs in our community through Education, Economic Mobility, Health, and Basic Needs services. Volunteers looking to aid in Hurricane Relief efforts can sign up via the United Way website to work the relief tent, located in Lake Charles, or at two grocery distribution centers, located in Calcasieu and Beauregard Parishes.
Volunteer: www.unitedwayswla.org/volunteerform
Donations of Goods or Services: www.unitedwayswla.org/donations
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana:
The Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter. The foundation has raised more than $6 million in the weeks following Hurricane Laura, allowing grants to be made to adept nonprofits to offer relief and comfort to people in the most dire need. The Foundation collaborates with public agencies and private enterprises to conduct projects for civic improvement.
Monetary Donations: Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
Grant Opportunity: The rapid grant program is open now and accepting applications through mid October. Qualified nonprofits can apply by filling out a simple form at FoundationSwla.org/grants-apply.
Care Help
Care Help of Sulphur, Inc. was organized in January 1984 by people in our area who saw a need for a charitable organization to provide assistance to people in emergency situations. In addition to the area residents, we assist people passing through who are in emergency situation and fire victims. The organization has continued to grow throughout the years and we have had the opportunity to help thousands of people who needed temporary, emergency assistance. Assisting families in need with food, water, gas, rent, medicine, clothing, utilities, and more.
www.care-help.org
Volunteer Hours: M-F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Donation Drop-Off Hours: M-F 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana
The Diocese of Lake Charles, established in 1980, was carved from the area in Southwest Louisiana that formerly made up the Diocese of Lafayette. After the diocese's formation, it continued to provide assistance to those in need through its Office of Catholic Social Services. This was done with financial assistance to those in need to pay rent, mortgages, and utilities. A food pantry was also part of the operation as well as providing clothing for those in need. Catholic Charities of SWLA frequently holds free grocery and supply drives for residents.
www.catholiccharitiesswla.com
Volunteer Hours: M-F 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Text Hurricane to 84576 for daily updates on relief efforts in SWLA
SWLA Responds
Pastors in Southwest Louisiana are uniting to help their communities recover from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. With the support of Houston Responds, they have formed SWLA Responds to coordinate and collaborate for disaster relief. Church leaders and their congregations need support through volunteering and donations of money and supplies.
Carey Baptist Association
Hurricane Laura came in quickly and fiercely, destroying all in her path. Lake Charles and the entire Lake Area is working to pick up the pieces and rebuild our beautiful city. Our Disaster Relief teams are here to help!
RebuildSWLA.org
Southwest Louisiana was completely devastated at the damage that Hurricanes Laura and Delta did to our area. It will take years to fully recover from the damage, but you can be a part of that recovery!
Rebuild SWLA is a joint effort between Carey Baptist Association, SWLA Responds, and Operation Hope. Each of these organizations has the same goal of rebuilding our city and we can do so much more as a team instead of as individual groups. Together we can Rebuild SWLA.
SBP
SBP helps to shorten the timeline between disaster and recovery. It seeks to achieve its mission via five interventions:
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Rebuild homes quickly after disasters by mobilizing private sector innovations and assigning a single point of contact to make the home rebuilding process faster and more predictable.
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Share rebuilding innovations with other rebuilding organizations to allow for efficient, predictable recovery on a national scale.
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Prepare home and business owners prior to and following disaster with specific steps to mitigate risk and improve resilience.
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Advise policy makers immediately after a disaster so they can deploy federal dollars sooner, and in a way that empowers an efficient recovery.
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Advocate for the reform of disaster recovery strategies in the U.S. to improve the predictability and speed of recovery.
https://sbpusa.org/where-we-help/new-orleans-la
More Organizations
Samaritan’s Purse Operations
Volunteer: www.SPVolunteer.org
Locations in DeQuincy, Jennings, DeRidder, and Lake Charles.
Second Harvest Food Bank
www.no-hunger.org/volunteer
All Hands and Hearts
www.allhandsandhearts.org/volunteer
*All Hands and Hearts is geared toward out of town volunteers willing to commit to a 12-week work session.
Love Acadiana
www.loveacadiana.org
Volunteer: www.loveacadiana.org/i-can-help
Donate: https://pushpay.com/g/loveacadiana?src=hpp
Eight Days of Hope
www.eightdaysofhope.com
Volunteer: https://eightdaysofhope.com/registration?ev=34
Donate: https://eightdaysofhope.com/donate
Team Rubicon
www.teamrubiconusa.org
Volunteer: https://teamrubiconusa.org/joinus-covid-19-1/