U.S. to Use Religious Charity to Run Storm Relief Project

The Federal Emergency Management Agency intends to give a $66 million grant, paid for with donations from foreign governments, to a religious charity to expand services for 100,000 families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The money comes from several dozen countries, which donated a total of $120 million in cash directly to the United States government. The donations came in varying amounts, including $12,000 from Malta and $5 million each from China and Bahrain. The single biggest donation came from the United Arab Emirates, which gave $100 million, the State Department said.

Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said the money was donated without conditions for its use so he did not believe there would be objections to the United Methodist group. "The donor nations deliberately left it up to us to determine the best use of these funds," he said.

Excepting that, perhaps, those nations might be a little more reluctant to offer donations next time.

Well, they didn't say we couldn't give it to churches...

October 27, 2005
The Emergency Agency
U.S. to Use Religious Charity to Run Storm Relief Project
By ERIC LIPTON

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency intends to give a $66 million grant, paid for with donations from foreign governments, to a religious charity to expand services for 100,000 families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The unusual deal with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, a group based in New York, is intended to provide counseling over two years.

Charities often provide that kind of assistance after disasters, using money they have raised on their own. But it is rare for the federal government to finance the work directly, particularly through a religiously affiliated organization like the United Methodist group, which is leading the new assistance program.

"We need a national network of case management to help families in their search for work or to help them move from one place to another," said Natalie Rule, a FEMA spokeswoman.

The money comes from several dozen countries, which donated a total of $120 million in cash directly to the United States government. The donations came in varying amounts, including $12,000 from Malta and $5 million each from China and Bahrain. The single biggest donation came from the United Arab Emirates, which gave $100 million, the State Department said.

The United Methodist group, in alliance with up to a dozen other charities, intends to hire 600 paid case managers, who, teamed up with volunteers, will create a network of 3,000 relief workers across the United States, FEMA officials said.

"We can't work with 100,000 cases," said Tom Hazelwood, a United Methodist executive. "We just don't have the capacity."

The relief workers will contact families staying in hotels, travel trailers or apartments paid for by FEMA, or perhaps even families who have moved home but are still trying to find jobs and medical care or complete repairs to damaged property.

"We will match needs that they have, whatever they may be, with the resources that are available, be it from federal, state, local or private sector," Mr. Hazelwood said.

Linda Beher, a spokeswoman for the United Methodist group, said the organization did not advocate a particular religious point of view.

"We don't proselytize," Ms. Beher said. "It's that simple."

Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said the money was donated without conditions for its use so he did not believe there would be objections to the United Methodist group.

"The donor nations deliberately left it up to us to determine the best use of these funds," he said.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/27/national/nationalspecial/27housing.html?ex=1288065600&en=01d6034cbfa073f5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss