Storm is tracking directly towards New Orleans
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 – Tropical Storm Gustav is projected to increase in strength to a Category 3 Hurricane by early Saturday morning. Its present course is aimed directly for Louisiana and the U.S. Gulf Coast where Louisiana Governor Jindal is expected to call for a mandatory evacuation.

Antonio Boyd, HOPE worldwide Vice President of U.S. Programs announced today, “At this point we are closely monitoring the storm, preparing our staff, and working with local and state government officials to coordinate the mobilization of volunteers to help the citizens of Louisiana. We need volunteers from across the country to be ready to help if called on!”

Frank Dowd, Executive Director Gulf Coast Programs, is currently evacuating HOPE worldwide’s team out of St. Bernard Parish prior to the storm so that the team can be redeployed once the storm makes landfall. The HOPE worldwide team is also working with our church partner, the New Orleans Church of Christ, to evacuate church members tomorrow. The church will be joining forces in our disaster relief efforts. Governor Jindal and our partners at the Louisiana Department of Social Services, the American Red Cross, the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, the New Orleans Mayors Office of Recovery and Development, and Habitat for Humanity have been notified that HOPE worldwide volunteers are ready and willing to serve, if needed.

Please be on alert for an emergency call for volunteers to the Gulf Coast.

Visit www.hopeww.org daily for updates.

Continue to pray for those in the path of the storm and for the many on the Gulf Coast still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast almost exactly three years ago.