IRS Disaster Relief – Providing Assistance Through Charitable Organizations
Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

On Sunday, Aug. 28, Brunching for Greater Baton Rouge will take place as participating restaurants donate 15 percent of brunch sales to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Louisiana Flood Relief Fund. Participating restaurants include: The Overpass Merchant, Mason’s Grill, Tio Javi’s, Table Kitchen and Bar, Canefield Tavern, City Cafe, Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine, Lasseigne’s American Grill, Simple Joe Cafe, The Londoner, Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, Galatoire’s Bistro, Stroubes, Capital City Grill downtown, City Pork Deli & Charcuterie, City Pork Brasserie & Bar, Sammy’s Grill on Highland Road, both locations of Bistro Byronz, Louie’s Cafe, Breck’s Bistro and Pasta Bar and Ambrosia Bakery. Willie’s Restaurant and Boil & Roux opted in for Saturday brunches.

Restaurants can register to participate until Saturday by messaging Baton Rouge Brunches on Facebook. Brunch attendees are asked to bring school supplies, school uniforms and backpacks as donations for displaced students. 

If you’re looking for ways to help those displaced by the recent unprecedented floods in south Louisiana, the following agencies are accepting monetary and other donations for families and individuals in need:

The American Red Cross Louisiana Capital Area-West is accepting donations. Donations can be made online, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by texting LAFLOODS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Capital Area United Way is accepting donations at its office, 700 Laurel St., from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily until further notice. Items in need include: Pillows, blankets, bottled water, underwear for adults and children, cleaning supplies, baby formula and food, masks, nonperishable food items, buckets, mops, rubber gloves, toilet paper, diapers, soap, shampoo, socks for adults and children, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, boxes or containers, and school supplies. Monetary donations also can be made by texting LAFLOOD to 313131, as well as online.  

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, after taking on more than four feet of water in the facility. is looking for donations to help replace all the food that was lost, and also return the facility to operations. If you’d like to make a donation, click here. Please contact Rachel at communications@goodbank.org with any additional questions.

HOPE Ministries is in need of food and cleaning supplies for dispersal to flooding victims. The drop-off location for donations is at its facility at 4643 Winbourne Avenue. List of needs include: Food - Rice, Dry beans (red or white), Pasta, Tomato sauce, Oatmeal, Grits, Breakfast cereal, Canned meat (tuna and chicken), Mayonnaise, Peanut butter, Jelly, Canned peas, Canned green beans, Canned Corn, Flour, Sugar, Cooking oil, Eggs, Sandwich bread, Bottled water, Paper plates/utensils, Toilet paper, Feminine hygiene supplies, and Paper towels; Cleaning Supplies - accepting donations of 5-gallon buckets containing the following items: Laundry detergent, Liquid house cleaner, Dish soap, Insect repellant, Scrub brush, Reusable cleaning wipes, Sponges, Souring pads, Heavy duty trash bags, Dust masks, Work gloves, Plastic gloves and Bleach.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is setting up charitable funds for local businesses that want to help employees affected by this weekend’s devastating floods. Capital One Bank Louisiana executives gave $250,000 to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Louisiana Flood Relief Fund, the largest donation to the fund to date. BRAF says it will turn the money over to nonprofits helping flood victims. According to BRAF’s website, the fund has raised approximately $1.1 million since its creation on Aug. 14. BRAF is aiming to raise $1.5 million through the fund. Using BRAF to set up a charitable fund has two major advantages: companies don’t pay taxes on contributions and employees won’t have to pay income taxes on the grants. The Employees 1st program allows companies and employees to make donations through a portal on the BRAF website and the foundation manages all paperwork. Tax-deductible donations can be made online to the Louisiana Flood Relief fund, which will help nonprofits responding to the flood. The foundation also is offering the Employees 1st program for companies wanting to set up charitable funds to help flood-struck employees. Contact BRAF to find out more information about the Employees 1st program: ehutchison@braf.org.

The local Salvation Army has established a makeshift command center at 4025 W. Brookstone Drive. Volunteers are welcomed to report to the location to help with food service and more. Donations are also being accepted online.

Baton Rouge Catholic Charities is asking for donations to help flood relief work through its website, www.ccdiobr.org.

New Schools for Baton Rouge has established a school relief fund to provide funding for NSBR supported schools as they work to repair flooded facilities and replace damaged textbooks and classroom supplies. Click here to donate. NSBR is now accepting school supply and clothes donations. Please call 225.384.0271 for more information or drop off materials at: 100 Lafayette Street, Suite B251. There is an Amazon Wish List for items requested by schools for their families. If you purchase an item through the list, it will ship to the New Schools for Baton Rouge office, and they will distribute to schools. Click here to view the list.

The Louisiana Civil Justice Center has activated its Disaster Legal Hotline. The Hotline will provide legal advice and services for individuals who reside in parishes affected by the disaster. Callers can receive answers to legal questions about how to get help and also receive referrals to attorneys. Call 504-355-0970 or 1-800-310-7029.

Theatre Baton Rouge has set up a fundraising page for employees and families. TBR is a non-profit community theatre dedicated to uplifting Baton Rouge and surrounding areas through art. This flood has devastated several of dedicated active volunteers and staff. TBR thrives because of the incredible work of our volunteers. Just in its upcoming productions of "American Idiot, "Macbeth" and "Evangeline," there are over 10 families in need of help in the wake of the floods.