NATCHEZ &8212; Area organizations are working to make sure the response to the next disaster runs even smoother.

After Hurricane Katrina flooded the Miss-Lou with evacuees, nonprofit, governmental and faith-based groups rushed to provide food, shelter, medicine and transportation.

Now, the same groups are inviting anyone interested to join a network of organizations and agencies that will be able to respond quickly and smoothly to disasters.

The goal of the Miss-Lou Voluntary Disaster Network is to make communication between agencies fluid in the case of an emergency.

&8220;After Katrina, we realized a lot of organizations were willing to help, but we had such a communication problem trying to find out who needed help and were to refer people,&8221; Chairwoman Angie Brown said Friday. &8220;Everybody pulled together, and we did a great job, but we felt there was need for something more organized.&8221;

Through the network, organizations will know who to contact and how to arrange volunteers, she said.

Organizations like First Presbyterian Church, Parkway Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, the Ministerial Alliance, the Adams County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou, Adams County Youth Court, CASA and Families First are currently involved, Brown said.

The Miss-Lou Voluntary Disaster Network is open to any group interested in helping in case of a disaster, she said.

&8220;We want to open it up to any type of organization and not limit it,&8221; Brown said. &8220;Any group, organization, nonprofit, government agency &8212; it doesn&8217;t matter, as long as you can make a commitment to work with us and be available. The whole thing is to help people in need.&8221;

The network is also looking for groups from Vidalia and Concordia Parish to join.

Various groups involved after Hurricane Katrina started discussing the idea of such a network this spring, the Rev. David O&8217;Connor, pastor at St. Mary Basilica, said. His church was among those who helped provide for the influx of evacuees.

&8220;In light of our experience during the hurricane and the aftermath of the hurricane, I became aware of how many great people and resources there are in Natchez,&8221; O&8217;Connor said.

&8220;There is a great amount of good will.&8221;