Hurricane Katrina, one of the most catastrophic natural disasters to hit the U.S., began its devastating toll on August 29, 2005. It took more than 1,800 lives, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused $125 billion worth of damage to Gulf Coast cities in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has contributed over $32 billion in disaster assistance, but much of the clean up and recovery has been done by volunteers. "The bureaucracy moves slowly and we're not sitting around and waiting for the government to do it for us," explained Carmen Sunda, Director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Greater New Orleans Region. "We're getting in there and doing our part. Volunteers are extremely important. We just need people to get out there and help."

For entrepreneurs and others interested in contributing to the post-Katrina recovery effort, here are a few organizations that are seeking volunteers, supplies, funding and support.