AAMIA Joins Congress and Faith Community in Dialogue about Hurricane Katrina

Washington, D.C. – On September 9, 2005 AAMIA Chair Rev. Timothy McDonald joined NAACP President Bruce Gordon, Progressive National Baptist Convention President Rev. Dr. Major Jemison and U.S. Senators Ed Kennedy (D-MA), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) in a discussion with members of the faith community about the social and economic impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast region and options to provide long-term aid and support for victims.

During the meeting, several religious leaders spoke about their on-going efforts to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina with food, clothing and shelter in various parts of the country and called for the creation of a victims’ assistance fund similar to the one created in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.2