A Feb. 27 article about donations to charities helping victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes misstated the amount of money the United Methodist Committee on Relief has available for long-term charity work in that region. It has dispensed $14.1 million and has $55.5 million remaining. Also, the value of its contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency was misstated. The value is $66 million, not $60 million.
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Two-Thirds of Katrina Donations Exhausted
It asked for the amounts collected and how much has been disbursed. It also obtained breakdowns of how much had gone for short-term relief and amounts remaining for long-term recovery.
Some of that money is causing tension on the Gulf Coast.
  Minnesotans Mike Harrington and Roger Anderson carry supplies from one home to another in East Biloxi, Miss. (By Katherine Frey -- The Washington Post) Coverage of the Storms
The Gulf Coast was hit hard by two massive hurricanes in the fall of 2005.
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Doctors struggling to rebuild practices are clashing with emergency clinics set up after the hurricane. The physicians say the free medical care is diverting paying patients from their practices.
For much the same reason, International Aid, a Michigan group that raised $50 million in cash and supplies, has stopped distributing food now that many grocery stores have reopened.
There comes a point, said the Rev. Myles Fish, the group's chief executive, when "you don't want to harm the local economy, so you've got to discontinue the free stuff."
Some charities that have focused on the more immediate needs of the storm's victims are winding down.
The American Red Cross announced earlier this month that it had received enough donations to cover the $2.1 billion cost of its operation and asked donors to give to other hurricane-relief groups.
It is, however, reserving $194 million for its local chapters for long-term recovery, it said.
Other groups focused on longer-term programs are just gearing up.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief, an arm of the United Methodist Church, hasn't completed its strategic plan for the $69.6 million it raised from church collection plates. The group also has a $60 million contract from FEMA.
UMCOR's plan will focus on "case management," assigning paid personnel and volunteers to help the neediest victims get back on their feet over the next four to six years, said Kristin Sachen, UMCOR's assistant general secretary, who oversees the group's relief efforts.
"It is slower," said Sachen of her group's efforts. "It is not emergency work. It is long-term recovery."
Staff researcher Derek Willis contributed to this report.
