During almost two weeks of fund-raising, Santa Clara University School of Law raised approximately $55,000 to donate to the hurricane Katrina relief effort. Funds were raised by the SBA (largely from law students), faculty, staff, and alumni. Dean Donald J. Polden stated, “This is a significant fund to go to the disaster victims and, on behalf of the entire law school community, I wish to express our gratitude for the generosity of the many donors.”
Dean Polden asked a small group of faculty, staff and students (including two students who are from the region devastated by the hurricane) to consider charities or relief organizations that would receive the funds. To be selected, the charities needed to meet the following requirements: (1) low or no administrative costs; (2) should get aid as directly as possible to the victims; (3) should be an organization set up to handle donations such as a 501 (c)(3); (4) will provide the law school with a report on how the funds were used–perhaps in 4-6 months.
The group identified two recipients that met the requirements and recommended that each be funded with one half of the total donations. The total raised funds will be sent (in equal portions) to:
(a) The Jesuit Order in New Orleans for their work in housing and feeding evacuees, alternative care for sick and elderly, transportation of sick, support of displaced lay staff, and other work.
(b) A church based group in rural Mississippi called "Faith in Community Ministries". The group is ministering to the needs of the poor, elderly and young in Stone County, Mississippi, which is one of the FEMA disaster areas but is not being served adequately by federal and state agencies. The group provides relief assistance, meals, personal necessities, medicines, water and other forms of direct care to the residents.
The law school group has received information about the important relief work from direct contacts in the regions and is confident that the victims of the hurricane in the poorest parts of New Orleans and rural Mississippi will benefit from these funds.
