The Face of Recovery: The American Red Cross Response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma

Two years have passed since the storms forever changed millions of lives. Every day since, we have mobilized our experience, partnerships and manpower to help individuals, families and communities with their recovery.

We are responding to this unprecedented need for ongoing help through a national recovery initiative implemented on a local level through the Hurricane Recovery Program (HRP), an effective, long-term program for survivors along the Gulf Coast. The program builds on the strengths of communities to restore and improve lives.

Funds entrusted to the Red Cross for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma disaster relief support our ongoing work to improve the lives of hurricane survivors who have endured unimaginable losses by delivering services consistent with the mission of the Red Cross: to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. The Red Cross and its partners in the nonprofit sector are focusing on two areas where the need for help is greatest: case management and emotional recovery.

In this report, we describe these HRP flagships and share the stories of a few of the
many survivors who have benefited from these programs.