Background and Problem:
The Common Ground Collective was established in the first week after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. It was the first organization to open up a medical clinic in Algiers, and provide immediate assistance (food, water, supplies) to the thousands of low-income residents unable to evacuate.
The recent hurricanes not only devastated much of the city of New Orleans, they exposed long-standing injustices faced by the residents of the lower income, African American communities. It is estimated that over 275,000 housing units were destroyed and efforts to clean up, repair or open livable housing has been slow. In New Orleans Parish, nearly 40% of the community earns under $20,000 per year, and more than 70% of the households are headed by a single parent. The literacy rate in New Orleans is roughly 39%. It is critical, therefore, that the immediate needs of the community are being met while long-term strategies to stabilize the community are initiated.
(http://www.commongroundrelief.org/mission_and_vision)