As you probably saw, families and communities across the Mississippi Delta were devastated by deadly tornadoes over the weekend that killed 26 people in Mississippi and 1 in Alabama. 

As with so many crises and injustices, Groundwork’s states continue to bear the brunt of the increasing frequency of deadly storms like these and our lack of climate action. Organizers on the ground are living this reality long before national news shows up; they’re working to build up the sustainable organizing capacity that constant response and recovery requires. For them, it’s quite literally a matter of survival.

Because of Groundwork’s relationships, we were able to connect with our partners on how we can be the most helpful with immediate storm relief efforts across the Delta. For those of you who have never been, the Delta is one of the most beautiful, proud and historic areas of our country. It takes your breath away.

But this region is also one of the most impoverished and under-resourced, forced to endure generations of systemic oppression, extraction, and neglect. That means that recovery in these communities will be about as hard as it gets. (Case in point? Injured residents in places like Rolling Fork, MS are currently having to travel over 50 miles to get medical care because the state’s GOP leadership refused to expand Medicaid – forcing rural hospitals across the Delta to shutter). We’re reaching out to you because we know you’re interested in helping out.

The good news is you can really make an impact. Here are a few relief efforts and organizations that Groundwork recommends:

Contribute to the Mississippi NAACP, which is one of the few organizations with a statewide presence in the communities most impacted. The areas hit are among the most rural of the rural, so it’s all the more essential to ensure funding goes to those closest to the ground. The NAACP has been in close communication with the Red Cross and federal officials and is working with its members in Sharkey and Humphreys Counties. Donate to Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equality (IAJE), a Groundwork Grantee, who are some of the most effective crisis response organizers in the state. IAJE helped lead efforts to respond to the Jackson Water Crisis, long after the headlines turned away, and they’re doing the same here, coordinating supply drops + setting up direct funding of community members who lost jobs. The IAJE team has worked to ensure resources about relief efforts are translated and reaching Spanish-speaking residents in need. Support the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition, a group of over 30 MS-based civic organizations that provide rapid response support in times of crisis caused by natural disasters or infrastructure failures. Some fantastic organizations drive this coalition including the People's Advocacy Institute, the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign, One Voice, MS, IAJE, Alternate ROOTS, Mississippi Moves, Operation Good, Strong Arms of Mississippi, Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, and Southern Poverty Law Center. If you’re looking to support many different organizations with one click, this is a great place to go. Continue to help Alabama rebuild by supporting Hometown Action. As I’m sure you remember, Alabama was devastated by a series of tornadoes earlier this year. Many of you generously stepped up to help Groundwork Mini-Grantee Hometown Action, an organization that continues to lead on the very long road to recovery for impacted communities in AL. This weekend’s tornadoes and severe weather hit AL again, making the support of their ongoing recovery efforts all the more critical.

Thank you for showing up with us. Anything you can do makes an enormous difference.

In solidarity,

Joe

–
Joe Kennedy (he/him)
Founder
Groundwork Project