After beginning the process of reviewing applications for the Family Relief Effort, the United Way of Northeast La. has made the following statement in order to be transparent with our community.

In the span of 48 hours, we have received more than 8,700 applications for assistance through the Family Relief Effort. The need we are seeing is significant, and we are continuing to work aggressively to secure additional resources. At the same time, we are also moving quickly to help families facing the most urgent situations with the resources currently available.

Round 1 of assistance will focus on a group of applicants who have been carefully reviewed and selected based on:
-Urgency of need for food and basic necessities
-Impact on hardworking ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families struggling to make ends meet (more on ALICE here: unitedwaynela.org/alice)
-A lottery process will be used to ensure fairness and equity when the need exceeds available resources

This approach allows us to respond immediately to urgent needs while maintaining transparency, dignity, and fairness. Additional rounds of assistance will depend on the availability of resources as we continue fundraising and community partnerships.

We are grateful for the patience of those who have applied and for the generosity of our community as we work to meet this moment together.

To donate to the Family Relief Effort, text FAMILYRELIEF to 91999 or visit unitedwaynela.org/family-relief-effort.