Helping Our Families and Community Rebuild after Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was the largest natural disaster to strike the United States. It affected the lives of millions of people in the Gulf Coast region. The homes of more than 80 percent of New Orleans area residents were damaged. Monsanto Company's Luling, Louisiana, plant is located just 25 miles upriver from New Orleans, and many Monsanto Company employees experienced tremendous loss because of this natural disaster. In fact, 82 of Luling's 659 employees could not live in their homes because of extensive damage.

Many of their coworkers around the world wanted to help, and Monsanto Company wanted to offer assistance. As a result, the Monsanto Fund pledged $1 million to disaster relief efforts and set up the Monsanto Disaster Relief Fund, a global employee-to-employee donation program through which $145,000 was given to employees affected by Katrina. This fund assists Monsanto employees who have an urgent need for temporary help with food, shelter, clothing, household items, medical supplies, and other disaster-related needs.

Review of applications and decisions concerning grants made to individuals from this fund following Katrina were handled independently by the St. Louis Area chapter of the American Red Cross. Luling employees have also been helping each other. The Luling Plant Volunteer Corps, a team of more than 75 employees and family members, have been helping others with demolition, cleanup, and recovery of homes that were damaged by the hurricane.

It may be many years before the New Orleans area fully heals, but the efforts of our employees in Luling and around the world to help those in need are helping restore the lives of those affected by Katrina.

$1.0m
The Monsanto Fund paid $1 million in aid to disaster relief efforts following Katrina.