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ida hits home

Needs were a little different post-Ida, however. “What’s particularly interesting about this storm,” Gottsegen said, “is that the disaster response has gotten much better and much more diverse.” Between the Red Cross, the National Guard, and World Central Kitchen, tremendous resources were brought to bear in a timely manner. But in the aftermath of the storm comes the aftermath of the response, wherein another problem emerges: at some point, these organizations leave, regardless of the state of hurting communities. “If you’ve driven around South Louisiana in the last couple of weeks, you’ve seen that this recovery is going to take years. The devastation in some of these areas is almost incomprehensible. These organizations come in and do an incredible job in the near term, but in the long term, they just disappear, even though people in disaster-stricken areas are really hurting, really needing assistance, really looking for an uplifting hot meal and a cold beverage.”

contract workers, military service members, and first responders. “Anyone who was hungry and looking for a hot meal,” he said. “It was just a really powerful community- building event.” After those successful two days, Gottsegen sat down with fellow volunteers, and they discussed the situation and the future. It was something he thought they should do regularly, he said, as the need for disaster relief is only increasing in South Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast. Storms, he said, are more common and more violent than in years gone by. “We decided that we have the capacity, we have the desire, and we know how to fundraise, so let’s put something together that will allow us to do this whenever the need arises.” That was the genesis of ResQue. Gottsegen and his group subsequently formed a 501c3 nonprofit with the stated mission of preparing hot meals for those in need and covering the time gap between a disaster event and the federal and state response.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT OPPOSITE PAGE ResQue team handing out meals at Rouses Markets in Golden Meadow, Louisiana weeks after Hurricane Ida made landfall. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT THIS PAGE ResQue team from left to right: Rob Laurent, Drew Herrington, Dave McCelvey, Brad Gottsegen, Robby Moss. Photo by Channing Candies.

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