Greetings! I am writing today to reflect on Louisiana’s recovery and to share the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation’s (LDRF) plans to continue to play a leading role in strengthening our most vulnerable communities through our people-first programs and cultivating a culture of preparedness through our newly launched “Louisiana, My Heart, My Home” initiative.

The twofold purpose of “Louisiana, My Heart, My Home: Prepared to Live Together, Prepared to Give Together” is to educate Louisiana residents about preparedness and to engage all citizens in community philanthropy that will increase our resilience both in and out of disaster times.

Even amidst a national economic crisis, we in Louisiana can be heartened to see the positive impacts of this long-term recovery process. Thanks to the great work of Louisiana’s nonprofit sector and supporters such as yourself, policy makers are listening more carefully to citizens’ ideas, small businesses continue to re-open and grow and residents of hard-hit communities are coming together to present their visions for the future to local and national government leaders. However, in many regards, our collective efforts are just now gaining the necessary momentum to drive the recovery process to scale and beyond - to a better Louisiana.

As an emerging philanthropic leader in the region, LDRF recognizes that we must build upon our successes and capitalize on the valuable lessons learned during the last 3 years. Having amassed an arsenal of lessons-learned in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and, more recently, Gustav and Ike, LDRF remains committed to our promise to be there for Louisiana residents in the wake of disaster. LDRF is equally committed to continuing to effect public policy that facilitates efficient, fair and transparent use of recovery resources and seeking new public-private partnerships that bolster the critical work of the nonprofit sector.

I invite you to learn more about LDRF programs by visiting our website.

On behalf of LDRF and all Louisiana citizens, I thank you for your support.

Yours in safety, community and philanthropy,

Flozell Daniels, Jr.
President and CEO

From the desk of

Flozell Daniels Jr.