Monday, April 06, 2009

IDTF Honored with National Award

Biloxi, MS—Mutual of America Life Insurance Company honored the Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force (IDTF) at a luncheon at the Beau Rivage today. In addition to naming IDTF as a Merit Finalist for the 2008 Community Partnership Award, the company unexpectedly donated $15,000 so the non-profit could continue its mission of collaborating with other organizations to complete recovery.

March 31, 2009—for immediate release
IDTF HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARD AND SURPRISE DONATION

Biloxi, MS—Mutual of America Life Insurance Company honored the Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force (IDTF) at a luncheon at the Beau Rivage today. In addition to naming IDTF as a Merit Finalist for the 2008 Community Partnership Award, the company unexpectedly donated $15,000 so the non-profit could continue its mission of collaborating with other organizations to complete recovery.

Thomas Gilliam, Chairman and CEO of Mutual of America, presented the Community Partnership Award and described the process through which IDTF was chosen, saying, “We get nominations from organizations in every region of every state, all very worthy. We try to identify ten non-profits that are doing collaborative work in a way that can be a model for other groups with similar missions.”

IDTF serves as a convening agency after hurricanes, working with other agencies in the area that provide direct aid to victims to make sure that lines of communication are open to achieve a just recovery for all. Since Katrina, IDTF has focused particularly on issues of mental health, both for the general population and for those in caregiver roles, such as pastors and counselors. IDTF hosted two Katrina Recovery Summits that received extensive press coverage. It will sponsor its third Mental Health Summit in May to highlight issues in the field that relate to recovery efforts.

In addition to the Community Partnership Award, Mutual of America gave recognition certificates to four organizations who partner regularly with IDTF: the Steps Coalition, the University of Southern Mississippi, the American Red Cross, and the United Jewish Communities.

Four individuals were also recognized for their leadership in recovery efforts with the presentation of an American Eagle silver coin: Elijah Mitchell of Coastal Family Health, Sister Martha Milner of the Sisters of Mercy, Kathleen Johnson of Waveland Katrina Relief, and Roberta Avila of IDTF.

In her remarks upon receiving the award, Roberta Avila said, “One of our mottos is ‘better together.’ If there is one thing we have learned, it’s that we will move the recovery forward if we continue to find ways to partner around the myriad of issues that still face our full recovery from Katrina.” She added, “We have built our work on faith- and not one faith- but many.”

Please contact John Hosey at (228) 432-9310 or jmhosey@msitdf.org for more information about the Community Partnership Award or IDTF’s continuing work in Katrina relief.

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