NEW YORK (JTA) — Jewish Funds for Justice is accepting donations to help in the cleanup from the Gulf Coast oil spill.
More than 6,800 square miles of federal fishing areas have been shut down in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an explosion on a Deepwater Horizon oil rig; 11 workers are presumed dead. More than 210,000 gallons of crude oil are being spewed into the gulf each day.
The Gulf Coast fishing industry, which is the largest seafood producer in the continental United States, may lose $2.5 billion because of the spill, according to early estimates.
“From the first report of the explosion, Jewish Funds for Justice has been in communication with our partners on the ground from New Orleans to Boothville, from Plaquemines Parish to the Houma Nation,” said Simon Greer, CEO and president of Jewish Funds for Justice. “The message we’re hearing is clear: Workers and families are at risk of losing their livelihoods permanently. Jewish Funds for Justice believes we have an obligation to help the most vulnerable among us and to ensure that families have the support they need, whether it’s helping to employ displaced workers in new jobs, making sure homes aren’t lost to foreclosure, or keeping families safe from environmental pollutants.”
Tax-deductible donations can be made by individuals and organizations to the JFSJ Gulf Coast Disaster Recovery Fund online at jewishjustice.org or http://bit.ly/9UfGSU; by phone at (212) 213-2113, Ext. 3; or mailed to JFSJ, 330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001.
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