Missouri’s Convoy of Hope Remembers Hurricane Katrina Relief

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast 20 years ago, leaving 80 percent of New Orleans under water. That disaster was a turning point for Convoy of Hope, which is based in Springfield, when it two-person disaster services staff suddenly led one of the largest relief efforts in the organization’s history.

“We knew the hurricane was coming,’ President and Founder Hal Donaldson said. “We thought it was going to hit, so we were ready to go in right away To see the devastation was mindboggling, but also to see the desperation, because people didn’t see it coming. They didn’t think it was going to be as big as it was. So many had lost everything.”

Over the next two years, Convoy of Hope’s Katrina efforts involved the following:

• More than 707 truckloads of relief were delivered from 2005 to 2007.
• Seventy-four communities across four states received food, water and supplies.
• More than 5,000 volunteers joined in the initial response, totaling 180,000-plus hours in the first month alone.
• More than 100 medical personnel partnered with Convoy, providing care for 2,600-plus patients.
• Nearly 2,300 families received hands-on aid with cleanup and repairs.
• Seventy-eight churches and two Teen Challenge centers were rebuilt with the help of 366 work teams.
• More than 36,000 guests attended Convoy’s God Cares outreaches, receiving groceries, medical care, haircuts and other services.
• In total, Convoy of Hope’s Katrina response efforts touched the lives of more than 5.9 million survivors.

“When you see people’s brokenness and you have been with them and been that source of hope — even sometimes when they just needed a hug, a physical reminder, a hand on the shoulder — just that they’re remembered and not forgotten, it changes you,” Vice President Kary Kingsland said. “I’ll never forget Katrina. I don’t think we’re meant to forget Katrina. We wanted to be first on the ground and the last to leave. That’s how you give people hope, when they know that they’re not alone, and they can count on you,” continued Donaldson.

Twenty years later, Convoy continues to carry forward the lessons of Katrina, expanding its capacity and volunteer bases, refining systems and most importantly, ensuring that when the next storm strikes, hope arrives quickly.

–Dwight Widaman