“Katrina, Rita, and the Donation Drive That Rearranged My DNA”
Back in 2004, I landed a role that would change the course of my life: Accessibility Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the ADA Business Centers, based at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University in Philadelphia. I didn’t know it then, but I had just joined one of the most extraordinary circles of passionate, loving, and relentless community disability activists and advocates I would ever meet.
Those years at the Institute weren’t just a job—they were a masterclass in what it means to fight for inclusion, to stand alongside people in the hardest moments of their lives, and to believe that access isn’t a privilege, it’s a right. The lessons I learned there shaped me into the activist and advocate I am today.
What follows is a chapter of that history—a moment when my city, the City of Brotherly Love, rose to meet a crisis with compassion and muscle. It’s a story that lit a fire under me and has been burning ever since.
Below is some history, you might enjoy reading!
Temple University’s Post-Katrina DME Donation Drive (2005–2006)
Background: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Need for DME
Hurricanes Katrina (August 2005) and Rita (September 2005) devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents. Among those affected were many people with disabilities who had to evacuate quickly, often leaving behind essential assistive devices and durable medical equipment (DME)[1]. In the storms’ aftermath, there was an acute need for replacement wheelchairs, medical supplies, and other assistive technology for survivors with disabilities.
Institute on Disabilities & Temple VOAD’s Response
In response to this crisis, the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University – in its role as Pennsylvania’s assistive technology program (PIAT) – joined a national effort to collect and ship DME to the Gulf Coast[1]. The Institute partnered with a newly formed Temple student/faculty initiative called Temple Volunteers Organized Against Disaster (VOAD) to lead a DME donation drive. Temple’s VOAD answered a call from the Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN), which had put out an urgent request for critically needed DME for hurricane survivors[2]. According to Temple emergency management coordinator George Heake (of the Institute on Disabilities), Temple already had a strong community service ethos, which helped inspire the creation of VOAD to organize disaster relief efforts[3].
Partnerships: This initiative linked Temple University with LATAN in Louisiana – all donated equipment would be delivered to LATAN for distribution to those in need[4]. Within Temple, the Institute on Disabilities provided leadership and expertise in assistive technology, while Temple VOAD mobilized volunteers and resources across the university. The organizers also sought support from local businesses and organizations for logistics: they requested sponsorship of trucks, warehouse space, pallets, and even food for volunteers to facilitate the drive[5]. This broad collaboration helped lay the groundwork for an ongoing focus on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, an area the Institute would continue to develop in subsequent years[1].
Public Calls for Donations and Volunteers
Starting in late 2005 and into 2006, the Institute and Temple VOAD issued public calls for DME donations and volunteer assistance. One major announcement came in spring 2006, advertising a “2nd Relief Effort for survivors of Hurricane Katrina” focused on collecting assistive DME[4]. The drive was heavily publicized on campus and through community networks (e.g., PHENND in Philadelphia), detailing how and when to donate:
When/Where: Throughout April 10–29, 2006, with a final drop-off event on Saturday, April 29 at Temple’s Main Campus (Parking Lot #3 at 13th & Cecil B. Moore Ave)[6]. (This followed an initial round of collections in late 2005, which had already sent supplies south.)
What to Donate: “Assistive Durable Medical Equipment” of many types. Top priority items included wheelchairs (manual and power, including high-weight-capacity models), shower chairs and benches, commode chairs, patient lifts, ramps, and home-use hospital beds[7]. Other needed items ranged from walkers, crutches, and adaptive positioning boards to feeding supplements/formulas and consumable medical supplies (e.g., diabetic supplies, adult pads, and disposables)[8]. Donors were asked to ensure all equipment was clean and in good working order[9]. The drive also welcomed financial contributions directly to LATAN for those who preferred to donate money to support the cause[10].
Volunteer Roles: The Institute on Disabilities and Temple VOAD actively recruited volunteers to help with every aspect of the effort. Opportunities included administrative/research tasks, picking up and transporting donated items, operating forklifts, and general event staffing[11]. The organizers even looked for donations of volunteer necessities (like T-shirts and meals) to support those helping on collection day[12].
These calls to action – shared via Temple’s communications channels, community listservs, and local media – emphasized that all donations were tax-deductible and would directly assist Gulf Coast residents with disabilities[13]. Contact information for George Heake at the Institute was provided for questions, underscoring Temple’s leadership in coordinating the drive[14].
Community Response and Outcomes
The Temple and Philadelphia communities responded enthusiastically to the DME drive. Thanks to numerous donors and volunteers, the initiative gathered a large volume of equipment for hurricane survivors. Temple’s response filled and sent “two full trailers” of donated supplies – including wheelchairs, IV stands, and other medical equipment – to the affected regions[2]. These trailers were delivered via LATAN to people in Louisiana and neighboring areas who had lost their assistive devices in the storms.
Temple VOAD’s work demonstrated the university’s capacity for compassion and quick action. “Temple has a great reputation for community service,” George Heake noted, explaining how students and faculty “put their feet on the ground” to make such programs succeed[3]. Heake reported that “it is truly amazing the response we have received and continue to receive from the Temple community” in support of the relief effort[15]. Not only did individual students, staff, and residents contribute equipment, several area businesses and groups stepped up with in-kind support (trucks, storage, etc.) to overcome logistical hurdles. The collaborative, grassroots nature of the drive was key to its success.
As an immediate outcome, the DME collected by Temple helped restore mobility and independence to numerous people with disabilities in the Gulf Coast. More broadly, the experience had a lasting impact on Temple University. It sparked the formation of a permanent disaster-response framework at Temple. After the Katrina/Rita effort, Temple VOAD sought to establish itself as an ongoing program to prepare for future emergencies and maintain a supply network for critical donations[16]. Indeed, the Institute on Disabilities identifies the 2005 Katrina response as “the start of our emergency preparedness work,” which catalyzed continuing initiatives to integrate disability needs into disaster planning[17]. In later retrospectives, Temple highlighted how student-driven efforts (like the VOAD DME drive and medical volunteer trips) evolved into sustained programs such as the Temple Emergency Action Corps for disaster relief training[2][16].
Follow-Up and Retrospectives
In the years following 2005–2006, the Katrina/Rita DME drive has been remembered as a model of inclusive, community-based disaster response. Temple University’s news outlets documented the effort’s success: by 2007, a Temple article proudly recounted that “as a result of Temple’s response, two full trailers of supplies... were sent to residents in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina”[2]. The drive was frequently cited as a positive example of university-community partnership in a crisis and a testament to Temple’s commitment to service. It also forged an ongoing partnership with LATAN and raised awareness nationwide about the importance of including assistive technology and DME in disaster relief.
While the immediate drive concluded once the urgent needs were met, its legacy lived on. The Institute on Disabilities continued to collaborate on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, incorporating lessons from Katrina into future training and planning. Both locally and in national forums, Temple’s initiative has been recognized as a promising practice in disability-inclusive disaster relief, illustrating how a well-organized equipment donation campaign can galvanize a community and make a tangible difference in survivors’ lives[16][1].
Overall, the 2005–2006 DME donation drive led by Temple’s Institute on Disabilities (in concert with Temple VOAD and LATAN) stands out as a significant effort in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – one that combined public communication, cross-sector partnerships, and volunteer action to address a critical gap for hurricane survivors with disabilities. The strong community response and the successful delivery of essential equipment not only met immediate needs but also helped shape more inclusive disaster response practices from now on.
Sources:Temple University Institute on Disabilities – Timeline: 30 Years of AT in PA (2005 entry on Hurricane Katrina response)[1]
PHENND Update (April 21, 2006) – “Volunteers Needed, Katrina Relief Donations Event” (Temple Institute on Disabilities & VOAD call for DME donations)[18][7][9]
Temple Now (Temple News) – “Community service is alive and well at med school” (August 3, 2007) – includes retrospective on Temple's Katrina relief efforts (quotes from G. Heake, outcome of DME drive)[2][15].
[1] [17] Timeline: 30 Years of Assistive Technology in PA | Institute on Disabilities | Temple University Institute on Disabilities
https://disabilities.temple.edu/resources/30-years-assistive-technology-pa
[2] [3] [15] [16] Community service is alive and well at med school | Temple Now
https://news.temple.edu/news/community-service-alive-and-well-med-school
[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [18] Volunteers Needed, Katrina Relief Donations Event | PHENND — Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development
https://phennd.org/update/volunteers-needed-katrina-relief-donations-event/
