Ten years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, claiming almost 2,000 lives and displacing 1 million people, the emotional and physical scars are still visible.
In the decade since, the city has worked to rebuild itself despite widely publicized funding challenges.
And in many ways, the city has come back stronger, as President Obama told New Orleans residents Thursday:
"Because this is a city that slowly, unmistakably, together, is moving forward."
Here are the groups continuing to help New Orleans progress:
The Louisiana Centre for Children’s Rights, a nonprofit law office for minors sent to juvenile court, helped support young people in need following Katrina. It was established at a time when most schools were closed for months, and many young people faced devastating loss, including their homes and families. The model was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. See how you can help here.
Since launching in 2006, the St. Bernard's Project has rebuilt 600 homes in New Orleans for low-income residents whose houses were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The nonprofit held a “48-hour marathon build” on August 26, during which volunteers worked six-hour shifts to rebuild 48 houses within 48 hours. See how you can help here.
New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity has been working to build affordable homes in New Orleans since 1983. Prior to 2005, the group would build about 10 houses per year. Since Hurricane Katrina hit, the nonprofit has gone on to build more than 400 homes. See how you can help here.
UNITY of Greater New Orleans is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and services to the homeless of New Orleans. Through its Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative, launched after Hurricane Katrina, the organization has created two apartment buildings accommodating low-wage workers and homeless individuals. See how you can help here.
The Upward Bound Program is currently working with 50 high school students from low-income families in New Orleans, helping them earn undergraduate degrees. Students stay with the program from the beginning of high school until college completion. The program has a 100 percent high school acceptance rate and a 97 percent college acceptance rate. See how you can help here.
Project Fleur-de-lis, a school-based mental health program, has helped children and their families recover from Katrina. The program is using a three-tiered approach of school, classroom and community-based interventions to help neighborhoods that have been affected by disasters. Through a federal grant, the project maintains a membership in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. See how you can help here.
Louisiana SPCA, an animal welfare organization, rescued 8,500 animals after Hurricane Katrina. The organization also successfully lobbied for the “Pet Evacuation Bill” in 2006, which states that companion animals must be included in the government’s evacuation plans. Since the storm, LA/SPCA has also been tackling the issue of pet overpopulation in New Orleans and has rescued 16,000 homeless animals. See how you can help here.
Actor Brad Pitt’s, Make It Right Foundation has built 100 affordable and sustainable, LEED Platinum-certified houses in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, the area hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The foundation has also created a "Library and Laboratory" to spur new ideas in green construction, and is planning to build at least 50 more homes. See how you can help here.
Clarification: Language has been amended to reflect the fact that Hurricane Katrina did not directly directly hit New Orleans.