On December 14, 2022 our community was directly affected by something that we rarely see in New Iberia. An EF2 tornado swept through our city the week before Christmas destroying homes and businesses in our area. Thankfully, no lives were lost although there were several injuries reported. You can read the official report of the damage that was sustained here.
Several organizations and groups in the area are collecting donations of food, toys, clothes, and monetary donations to help get these families back on their feet and celebrate the Christmas holidays. The City of New Iberia ran a collection and donation drive this week with distribution happening today. If you are looking to donate or get involved with the restoration efforts, we have a list of organizations that are helping our local families.
These groups are in no particular order as we are adding new groups to the list as we hear about them. Also, please confirm that the organization or business is still collecting donations before heading out. If you know of a group supporting our families in New Iberia that is not on this list, please let us know so we can add them.
New Iberia Strong |
The Rotary District 6200 Foundation (501c3) has set up an account to accept donations to help with the relief and recovery efforts in New Iberia. You can make donations through the Foundation by going to the District 6200 website (www.rotary6200.org) and clicking on the link “December Tornado”.
Cajun Coast Search & Rescue Team
This group has already made trips to New Iberia with donations for the families and to help with clean up. They are looking for volunteers to with help with clean up and rebuilding efforts as well as collecting monetary donations to support the affected families in New Iberia:
Venmo @cajuncoastsar
VooDoo Nutrition
As of December 15th, VooDoo Nutrition was collecting donations of coats, blankets, clothing for affected families at their location at 307 East Admiral Doyle, New Iberia. If you have some items you would like to donate, please reach out to them.
Catholic Charities of Acadiana
Here are three concrete ways to assist with their tornado response efforts:
Make a monetary gift by texting RELIEF to (337) 450-4400 or here: https://give.classy.org/IberiaTornado
Purchase in-kind donations to assist our local disaster response teams through our disaster response Amazon Wishlist: https://bit.ly/CCADisasterAmazon
Pre-register as a disaster relief volunteer: https://bit.ly/CCADisasterVolunteer
#catholiccharities #tornado #newiberia
As of December 14th, the Loreauville Community Project was collecting donations at the Town Hall starting at 1pm for food, clothing, building supplies and Christmas presents for the families.
The group brought a team of volunteers and equipment to the affected areas to help with clean up and support for survivors last weekend. You can reach out to them directly to find out about any other clean up efforts, or donations and collections for local victims after Christmas.
As of December 15th, Clayton Homes of New Iberia is collecting items for those affected. If you have anything you would like to donate, you can bring it to their location at 8304 West Highway 90 New Iberia, LA 70560.
This organization has been to the New Iberia affected areas over the last week helping with donations, clean-up, food and support for our local families. Read their story about finding a cherished family item in all the rubble! Go to www.UnitedCajunNavy.org to volunteer, donate or request assistance.
Community Foundation of Acadiana
In response to the severe weather outbreak we experienced in our region last week, the Acadiana Disaster & Emergency Response Fund to help those affected begin the recovery and long-term rebuilding process. You can make a tax-deductible donation to help our friends and neighbors here in Acadiana. You can call 337-769-4840 for more information.
