A home damaged by Hurricane Ida. Credit: Belinda Lebouef via Scalawag
Weathering storms in La. post-IdaScalawag spotlights Louisiana community members who detail how their lives have been — and continue to be — impacted by the destruction of Hurricane Ida in 2021, as well as the "seemingly endless environment-based strife" faced by families in disaster-prone communities. (In case you forgot: In 2021, Hurricane Ida was one of the strongest storms to hit the state, leaving more than 1 million customers without power as it flooded homes, ripped off roofs and trapped residents in dangerously rising waters. Winds were reportedly at 150 mph.) The piece also highlights reasons why they choose to stay in the Bayou.
"There's a place I could move to, Lake Arthur," said Kellie Luke, a community librarian. "It's the most wonderful little sleepy town. But my family's not there. My grandchildren are here."
For some locals, like Luke, Hurricane Ida caused destruction to beloved places that created cherished childhood memories, including summer campsites and the waters where communal and familial connections thrived."This is familiar, this is home," said Amberly Champagne, another community librarian. "It's a culture. It's a way of life."
Scalawag also heard from locals who said they lack the resources to restart their lives elsewhere, and that it may be financially easier for them to repair storm damage to their homes than to buy new ones. According to Gulf Coast Insurance Attorneys, referenced in the story, the average cost of storm repairs is about $10,000 for "moderate" wind-based damage, and a minimum of $4,000 to handle water damage.
"Nobody has that type of 'restart your life' money, or savings account sitting in the bank…to put a down payment [on a new house]," said resident Candace Chauvin. "If you own your land and you own your house, you will do anything to keep it."
, produced through the Environmental Justice Oral History Project, a digital hub that combines oral history, student journalism, podcasting, events, and research to document culture and environmental racism in the U.S. South →
Credit: Dymanh Chhoun for Sahan Journal
Minnesota’s HIV community in shock after state agency closesThe African American AIDS Task Force (AAATF) was founded in Minnesota in 1994 to address the lack of HIV and AIDS service providers for Black residents. However, in recent years, the organization has faced significant challenges, including a leadership transition after the death of its longtime executive director, Gwendolyn Velez. At the time, these changes proved too much for the staff to navigate, leading the agency to quietly close, former AAATF case manager Howard Crutcher tells Sahan Journal. “To know that it’s closed is very painful and hurtful because I know I have a lot of clients out there who are feeling it,” he said.
This story comes at a time when other Minnesota AIDS service organizations are also undergoing massive changes, including Rainbow Health, formerly known as the Minnesota AIDS Project, which abruptly closed on July 19, reports Sahan Journal. Royal Gute, a former staffer at the organization, told the news outlet that she and her co-workers were shocked to learn that the agency would be closing that very day. As a case manager for 35 clients, Gute says she had to scramble to contact as many people as she could that afternoon. “It was tough,” she added. Through contracts funded by the state, Rainbow Health provided direct services to about 2,500 people.
Now the state is bracing for a massive budget cut to its HIV support services, reportedly around $9 million, or about 30%. The impact will be most acutely felt by the estimated 10,000 Minnesotans who are living with diagnosed HIV, with 58% being people of color. Read more here →
Credit: iStock
Heat can make people with dementia irritable, confused, and uncomfortable. Here’s what to know.In an interview conducted by Spotlight PA and republished on WURD Radio, Sara Murphy, Vice President of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, discussed the heightened vulnerability of people with dementia during the summer heat, adding, “With someone with any type of dementia, it can affect their ability to regulate body temperature and their perception of temperature changes.”Murphy stressed that caregivers must be vigilant in monitoring for signs of discomfort, such as irritability, dehydration and confusion, as individuals with dementia may struggle to communicate when they're in distress. According to the CDC, Black and Latino Americans in the U.S. are expected to experience the largest increases in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias between 2015 and 2060.
Tips for caregivers for people with dementia:
Monitor for signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, dizziness and dark urine.
Ensure proper temperature regulation in living spaces and help adjust clothing or bedding.
Prevent wandering by safety-proofing exits and using GPS devices or recruiting neighbors to help keep an eye on the individual.
Meet the Game Changers
Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities
Co-founders and friends Shoo-Ga Cane Juice Bar & Eatery, Hannah Peterson and Rodalin Prak created a fresh-pressed sugarcane juice alternative for sports drinks. Their Minnesota-based food truck, largely driven by word-of-mouth, offers this natural, diabetic-friendly juice at parks and farmers' markets →
Credit: Shoo-Ga Facebook page