Todd Terrell is the President and Founder of the United Cajun Navy. His mission of service grew from personal loss after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when he lost his family’s historic seafood business, their boats, and their livelihood. The business had been started by his great aunt in 1932 during the Great Depression.
From Personal Loss to a Mission of Hope
In the aftermath of Katrina, Todd turned to his faith and began helping others facing devastation. That calling grew into the United Cajun Navy, bringing together boat owners, rescue volunteers, bikers, churches, schools, and community groups to help people in crisis.
“When you lose everything, sometimes you get angry at God,” Terrell reflects. “But my faith was such that it was like, ‘You know what? There’s got to be a better calling for me.’ And then next thing you know, we’re helping people, and it turned into this. God had a better plan for me.”
Hands-On Rescue and Nationwide Relief
Todd’s commitment includes hands-on rescue work. During a 2016 flood rescue in darkness, he and his team broke through windows to reach a woman trapped in a flooded home with only a small pocket of air remaining. Her rescue reflects the personal, life-saving work at the heart of his mission.
Under his leadership, the organization’s work has grown coast to coast. Its relief efforts include helping Hurricane Helene survivors in the Carolinas prepare for winter with clothing, heaters, and winterized campers, and partnering with the Dream Center in Los Angeles to provide protective equipment and essential supplies during California wildfires.
Building a Community of Service
Todd’s approach brings rescue teams and community volunteers together: some take boats, trucks, and ATVs into the field, while others sort supplies, support warehouses, and distribute food and clothing. Partnerships with City Impact, Dream Centers, and local churches, alongside warehouses stocked across the country, help the United Cajun Navy move supplies when disasters strike. Mobile command centers support field communications, logistics, and volunteer coordination.
Faith and Year-Round Support
For Todd, helping communities extends beyond the immediate disaster. The organization’s year-round work includes partnerships with faith-based rehabilitation programs, activities and mentorship for families in which grandparents are raising grandchildren, and chaplaincy support for people processing trauma. His story reflects a belief that recovery involves rebuilding hope and community as well as homes and livelihoods.
