Hurricane Ida Made Landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane in Port Fourchon, Louisiana on the 16^th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

AUGUST 30, 2021  Cincinnati, OH – Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization in Cincinnati, OH, is responding to Hurricane Ida, which made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday afternoon, the 16^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Ida was one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall in Louisiana, with an extreme wind speed of 150 mph. The combination of a dangerous storm surge, heavy rainfall and catastrophic winds has resulted in disastrous impacts along the southeast coast of Louisiana with life threatening flash flooding and significant river and stream flooding continuing farther inland. Over 50 million people are under flash flood watches from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. Nearly half the state of Louisiana is without power including the entire city of New Orleans. State officials have begun search and rescue efforts as the scope of damage comes into view.

Matthew 25: Ministries is launching both an immediate and long-term response to Hurricane Ida, including deploying their Disaster Response Team and shipping aid into the impacted areas. Matthew 25 is currently communicating with partners to identify most urgent needs and will work to help throughout the widespread disaster region.

“We are heartbroken for the people impacted by Ida,” says CEO Tim Mettey. “The impacts from this storm are devastating and incredibly far-reaching, and this will be a long-term recovery. Matthew 25’s domestic disaster response work began after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans 16 years ago. For weeks, I drove through the region, developing partnerships and distributing aid to help support these organizations’ work in their communities. That response laid a foundation for our current disaster response program, and we are ready to return to help again.”

Katrina was Matthew 25: Ministries’ first major domestic disaster response.  Matthew 25 responded within a week of the disaster with an advance team and truckloads of aid for the devastated region. Over the course of the next four months, 90 truckloads of aid (2,300,000 pounds) left Matthew 25’s Blue Ash location headed for relief centers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia.  In total, Matthew 25 shipped 140 truckloads (over 3,500,000 pounds) of aid valued at more than $5,000,000 to the disaster region.

Since 2005, Matthew 25 has continued to expand its domestic disaster response program, developing corporate disaster partnerships, adding specialized disaster relief vehicles and expanding services. Matthew 25 has responded to more than 75 domestic disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, pandemics, chemical spills, contaminations and droughts in multiple states.

Matthew 25 is requesting donations of the following types of items to supplement existing supplies, for restocking during their response to Hurricane Ida, and for future distributions:

• Monetary donations: Donate online or mail checks to Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242 (100% of donated funds designated for Hurricane Ida will be used for the purpose intended)
• Cases of bottled water (12- and 24- count)
• Personal care products: Antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, lotion, etc.
• Cleaning supplies: Laundry detergents, general cleaner, sponges, bleach (powdered form is preferred), mops, scrub brushes, buckets, rubber gloves, etc.
• Paper products: Toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
• Baby and infant supplies: Diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, baby wash, baby shampoo, baby lotion, etc.
• First-aid items: Bandages, gauze, pads, first aid tape, antiseptic creams, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, latex gloves, instant cold packs, etc.

Matthew 25: Ministries is currently responding to Tropical Storm Henri, Tennessee flooding, California wildfires and the Haiti earthquake. Matthew 25 has responded to multiple additional disasters in 2021, while continuing their ongoing work with the poorest of the poor worldwide. So far in 2021, Matthew 25: Ministries has distributed over 11 million pounds of aid domestically and internationally and helped more than 14 million people.

For the most current information on Matthew 25: Ministries’ activities please visit their website https://m25m.org/disaster/hurricaneida21 or follow Matthew 25 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/m25m.org, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/m25m_org/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/M25M_org. For more in-depth information about Matthew 25: Ministries’ humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts or to schedule an interview, please contact Michelle Jones at mjones@m25m.org.

Matthew 25: Ministries accepts cash, credit card and online donations for ongoing humanitarian aid and disaster relief programs, as well as product donation support. Matthew 25 also welcomes volunteers six days a week at their Blue Ash facility.

ABOUT MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses approximately 15,000,000 pounds of products each year and redistributes them to the poorest of the poor and disaster victims. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 20,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world.  Matthew 25 is ranked on Forbes’ list of America’s Top Charities. Matthew 25 is also highly ranked among approximately 3,500 four-star charities on Charity Navigator. Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the “Wise Giving Alliance Standards.” For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Michelle Jones at Matthew 25: Ministries (513) 793-6256, mjones@m25m.org, or visit www.m25m.org.