Cajun Navy Relief activated in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, immediately following Hurricane Ida and filled the gap to allow local organizations time to stand up their operations. Their service distributing meals, food, and supplies came at a time of great need. Thanks to Cajun Relief Navy for your service to St. Charles Parish!
Signed up to help and ended up in Erwin TN. Had a great experience cooking Gumbo and Spaghetti for anyone in the area who needed a hot meal. The locals and volunteers were grateful and gracious! No one wanted to take anything always concerned that someone needed it more than them. Helped organize and hand out supplies. Items were delivered to many that were still unable to get out of their homes. Took my college aged son and his friend who also enjoyed lending a hand and learned how to use a pallet jack such a meaningful memory they will always have. Efficiently run great communication and spot on getting things to those in dire need.
Cajun Navy Relief is an extremely professional rescue organization. All volunteers work countless hours to help those in need. I love working with this group of people.
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Cajun Navy Relief works year round to train and prepare for the possibility of being needed. Volunteers contribute countless hours to learning how to do their part efficiently and well. Built from people just wanting to help other people, CNR continues in the same tradition. Completely volunteer run and managed, this has become the go to rescue organization when an area is flooded and its people and animals need help that most others can't give.
I'm very thankful for all the Cajun Navy does for our state and country. I'm from Louisiana, a state that wears the scars of numerous historic floods and hurricanes, but whenever Louisianians think of all the heartfelt memories through the storms, Cajun Navy comes to mind. Through the years, Cajun Navy has grown to hold first place in the hearts and minds of most Louisianians when thinking of the positive that shines through the rain. I've worked and volunteered in shelters through the years and have experienced the positive change since Cajun Navy has arrived and grown. Thank you for all you do to rescue citizens and pets in Louisiana.
Cajun Navy Relief was the first organization to have boots on the ground in Barataria, Louisiana shortly after Hurricane Ida completely devastated our community. Colleen, Tristan and Flint were the first to arrive. These people were a lifeline to us. We were cut off from the mainland when our only way on and off the island (The Kerner Bridge) was taken out by the storm. They came with a boatload of supplies and started distributing those supplies along with hot meals on a daily basis. They kept the supplies and hot meals coming as more and more of their organization came to help. I was amazed that people actually voluntarily leave the comforts of their home to put themselves in harms way to help total strangers. Well, strangers we are no more. I truly consider the good people of Cajun Navy Relief to be great friends who me and my community will forever be grateful to!
This is a wonderful organization that I have very much enjoyed working with over the years and look forward to continuing to work with for many years. This last year my oldest son has even started volunteering and he as also enjoyed working with the teams and is excited to help out more in the feature.
Here in Southwest Louisiana we had a major hurricane in August 2020 followed by another major hurricane a couple of months later in October 2020. Immediately Cajun navy Relief showed up because they knew we needed help. They showed up with food and supplies and Colleen Udell came every day seven days a week with hot lunches and food that we could feed over 500 people every day. she did that for months and It was such a blessing! For several months they came and helped us and also put us in touch with people to put solar panels in front of our church which helped us while we had no electricity- gave us power in our buildings so we could cook food in give out supplies to people. This is a great organization and they helped us beyond anyone’s imagination and we are so thankful for them!
Most organizations are started with a small number of persons who build a solid foundation from which to grow and expand slow and steady into long lasting and fruitful organizations. We had no such luxury.
August of 2016 was the first attempt at organizing the volunteer effort called Cajun Navy. It is estimated there were 1,000+ volunteers that responded to the 2016 Baton Rouge Floods. To start an organization with 1,000+ on a flooded and storm destroyed foundation has been a monumental task that at times seemed as impossible as predicting the no name storm itself that brought us all together. Many personalities, passions, and different experiences led to large breakups and various numbers of different groups, each striving to help the helpless, each doing it in their own way.
Out of this was born our group, Cajun Navy Relief. I cannot even begin to put into words the level of passion and selflessness I've witnessed in helping to build, organize and train with this group of people. We are not just working to better serve our communities when in need, but to build an organization that future generations will be proud of and want to be a part of. We are working to be an example to all, that our friends, family and neighbors are our responsibility and for them, we will sacrifice.
If you need help, call us. If you can help, call us too. :)
SwampThing
Rescue Boat Captain
Began volunteering with this organization in 2016. I seen a need for help on Facebook and jumped in to help virtually 500 miles away. I amazed at the heart of the local volunteers and those far away at the work they put in helping their neighbors. The organization has grew into something amazing, helping people across the southeast US.
Such a great organization. I came into it a few years ago in the background. when I came to actively help this year they welcomed me and started training me right away. When you call someone and tell them help is on the way it really touches your heart and lets you know that you are making a difference in peoples life.
The volunteers at Cajun Navy work tirelessly to make sure that they are prepared for everything they might encounter. This includes physical training and online software training. During an event, several volunteers only get a few hours of sleep every other day. The boaters have spent nights sleeping in their vehicles. This group is a 501(c)3, not 1 person gets paid. All the volunteers are here because they truly love to help people.
I have been volunteering with Cajun Navy Relief for a few years. It has been a very welcoming and friendly group to work with. They care about everyone and will do anything they can to help in some of the most difficult times. Great organization overall
After being rescued from my flooding home in a previous storm, I jumped at the chance to join this amazing organization and help others in need. Since joining, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in multiple hurricane deployments. CNR partners with local authorities to help them succeed in identifying and evacuating people that are in need. I can’t begin to tell you how much of a life changing experience being in this organization has been. Helping people that are in need is at the core of my heart, and the unbelievable thanks and gratification you get from helping your neighbor is an indescribably amazing feeling. If ever there was a phenomenal organization to support, it would be the Cajun Navy Relief.
I worked with CNR as a dispatcher during their rescue games for boaters. It was a competition to teach both boater and dispatcher alike how to help people and communicate with fellow organizations.
They take this seriously, and care about getting folks out of the water.
I have volunteered with cajun navy relief for well over a year - 4 hurricanes and I have never met a more professional and organized group of volunteers. Cajun navy relief is comprised of good people working tirelessly and many times using their own money and property to help save others and repair their property after a disaster.
Since August 2016 when 1/3 of Louisiana flooded, I have been a part of this amazing organization. The people are like my family.
We all have the same heart for helping our neighbors. None of us can sit idly by while disaster strikes. We have to help. From boaters to behind the scenes, it's a beautiful sight to see when we activate to disaster areas.
God bless CNR!
I am a volunteer for Cajun Navy Relief. I have also worked as a manager in the non-profit industry since 2000.
I am so impressed with this group! We are a 100% volunteer organization. We have no paid staff. Our volunteers work around the clock in the aftermath of disaster to ensure that people can evacuate safely and have access to immediate needs.
One of the other things I enjoy about working with Cajun Navy Relief is the culture of collaboration that is being built within the organization. This organization works with disaster relief agencies, governmental agencies, church groups, and animal rescue organizations. Our volunteers represent the entire political spectrum. At the end of the day, we are all able to work together to save lives. It is beautiful to witness the culture of mutual aid that Cajun Navy Relief inspires in the aftermath of disaster.
Cajun Navy Relief will have my undying support for the critical work they do after hurricane and flooding disasters. My first experience was watching these guys descend upon New Orleans and do what the government couldn't, respond with agility saving lives. I joined and worked with them after Harvey. They smoothly and professionally coordinated thousands of volunteers stepping into the immediate aftermath making those who could help do it effectively. After Florence it became even clearer that this organization fills a critical gap during these events. There are several groups with Cajun Navy in their names, but this one is the most effective at coordinating a bunch of disconnected volunteers and uses funds for relief instead of overhead.
I had the opportunity to work with the Cajun Navy Relief organization for the first time during Hurricane Harvey. My first impression was that they were a very close group that was first and foremost interested in the safety of their volunteers. We made over 300 rescues in the Vidor Texas area as a direct result of their guidance and dispatch. Since then, I have had the opportunity to watch them evolve into an even more structured and organized team with the activations for Hurricane Florence and Michael. We noticed their communications were even better, and they seem to be continuously looking for ways to improve the accuracy of the real-time data which helps us volunteers saves lives. I do, however, find myself often explaining that not all the outfits that using the name "Cajun Navy" are part of this organization. My team Guerrilla Search & Rescue228 - GSAR is proud to have been able to help and volunteer for CAJUN NAVY RELIEF and would continue to do so as long as they allow us. They are a great organization and a great group of people.
I worked with the cajun navy during Hurricane Harvey on their social media team. What we would do is find where people were posting online saying they or their family was in trouble, get phone numbers from them, and find out how high the waters were. We did thousands of rescues there, but I will never, ever forget having people tell us the water was up to their waist and they had no idea what to do. And then getting a tweet back saying they had been rescued. It was hard not to be moved to tears. The men and women of the cajun navy are America's disaster relief force, and show just what people can do when we work together to help each other. That's why I am recommending them as an amazing nonprofit.