I'm returning VERY soon, my sweets!
4/22/06
**thank you everyone for the kind comments and emails!**
I've been so distraught, as many of you have with what's going on.
I'm busy getting my house ready to take in evacuees,
I'm still considering loading up a u-haul and driving it at least to Houston.
I would do it in my Father's name!
For now, i'm concentrating on helping the evacuees
pouring into Phoenix.
I might not be updating this like I want to.
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edited Thursday night to add:
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These are the top 5 things the Salvation Army here in Phx needs
for the 100s of evacuees pouring into the Valley:
1- phone cards/buss passes/rides
2-Men's clothing (large size/x-large)
3- baby's diapers (up to size 5)
4- feminine products
5- new volunteers (there are people who have worked for 2-3 straight days!)
(scroll below for more info concerning the local Salvation Army info)
***************************************
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CNN's very helpful page on what you can do, up to the minute
local info, where to send aid. etc:
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/katrina/help.center/
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's the link to the petition by MoveOn.org:
http://political.moveon.org/helpvictims/index.html
Don't Blame the Victims, Get to Work!
In the immediate days after Katrina, we saw the best of America as millions of people stepped forward to offer help. Meanwhile, the Bush administration failed at their most important job: keeping America safe. The federal effort was too little, too late and the fact that the White House would blame state and local officials after they had begged for help is appalling.
"President Bush should stop blaming the victims of Hurricane Katrina and get to work helping them."
**updated Thursday Sept. 7th**
I've been helping a bit at my local shelter(Veteran's Coliseum,Phx.),
and the next phase of this national tragedy is obviously finding
more permanent lodgings, so people can start finding work & families.
Housing, jobs, reuniting families, & most important-HOPE
is what I understand is needed now most of all.
Thanks and stay helpful & hopeful!
TURN GRIEF and ANGER into ACTION!!!
===========================
(from a thread I just started:
HOUSING for EVACUEES- a compendium of links:
Moveon's hurricanehousing.org
http://hurricanehousing.org/
hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com
http://www.hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com/home/
Katrinasurvivor.net
http://katrinasurvivor.net/
Micasasucasa.org
http://micasasucasa.org/
Katrinahousing.org
http://katrinahousing.org/
(from Katrinahousing.org's LINKS page):
http://katrinahousing.org/links?PHPSESSID=56b7fec6a0337a5e15b7a3a92f48fb51
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hurrican Katrina Helpline Help for victims
http://www.hurricanekatrinahelpline.com/
Help for victims
Been There
http://beenthere.typepad.com/been_there/
A clearinghouse for families in need of clothes, toys and other supplies to be sent directly to their temporary homes
Craig's Listhttp://neworleans.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=31&subAreaID=0&query=katrina&cat=hhh&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max&bedrooms=&s=0
1200+ offers (most free) of housing, most under "New Orleans"
Open Your Home
http://www.openyourhome.com/
By the same agency as does foreign exchange students. Compiling donated housing and housing requests.
Free Housing for Katrina Victims
http://www.nola.com/forums/homesavailable
Thousands of americans offering housing across the US
Homes for Katrina Displaced Families
http://www.homerentalads.com/hurricane-katrina-relief.htm
HomeRentalAds.com is providing a means of advertisement for Displaced Families of Hurricane Katrina to find safe temporary shelter. This is a way for property owners or other persons that have vacant rental properties, extra Room(s), or space to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by hosting them in your rental property or your own home. Placement of the Listing is Free and is meant to provide free or reduced rent temporary shelter to the families that have been Displaced due to this disaster.
Homeflood.org
http://www.homeflood.org/
Offer Housing listings:
Hurricane Katrina Help
http://http://www.hurricanekatrinahelp.com/
Good listing of links to private and corporate support sites.
ShareYourHome
http://www.shareyourhome.org/
LA site, able to go onsite to shelters to do matches
Long term affordable rental housing Provides detailed database of affordable rental housing in many cities around the country. For when Katrina survivors begin to look at other options of where to settle down.
Katrina United.com
http://www.katrinaunited.com/
Official Partner of Katrina Housing.org
Katrina Homes
http://www.katrinahomes.info/
Official Partner of Katrina Housing.org
Katrina Caravan
http://www.katrinacaravan.com/
Official Partner of Katrinahousing.org
Missing Persons Board at Yahoo
http://boards.news.yahoo.com/boards/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Repost from birthday boy handsomejoe:
Since you are giving some info on how to help everyone, I feel like I want to chime in.
If anyone is a Verizon Wireless customer, if you send a text message to "2help" (24351) on your Verizon phone, you will donate $5.00 to the Red Cross. You can do this a total of 5 times on your cell phone for a total of $25.00.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Here's a repost of what I wrote on the SGAZ boards.
I hope any local members are willing to help out with me:
IF YOU WANT TO HELP OUT KATRINA VICTIMS HERE IN AZ
I'm sure every local news station shall
continue to run leading stories about this so I won't
go on about it.
I've been down to the Veteran's Coliseum and it's a crazy scene!
The volunteer roster is full for now, but
this is a long term situation we all are facing.
If you feel like volunteering your time...
I understand that the Salvation Army is now
overwhelmed with donations.
They need people to help sift & seperate the items.
They are open at 8 am and stop letting cars in line at 5pm.
If you are wanting to donate items
PLEASE go buy new items to donate!
I don't know how much this has been emphasized
in the media, but it is what the organizers are asking for.
It makes sense in giving them a morale boost!
Items that are in short supply,
that they are asking for now:
inexpensive wrist watches (to make job interviews0
reading glasses
sun block
lotions
portable tv/radios
African American hair product
(I know Wal-mart has this on their selves)
feminine products
things that I personally feel they can use:
bus passes/schedules
phone cards
pens/pads/notebook/envelopes/stamps
When people are more settled,
there's gonna be more need for
housing/jobs/rides etc.
I'm trying to get my house ready to be
open to some evacuees myself.
I'm a bit of a pack rat so it's a challenge!
Here's the address and link for the Salvation Army:
http://www.salvationarmycares.org/default.asp
The Salvation Armys Southwest Divisional Headquarters
2707 E. Van Buren
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(602) 267-4100
from their homepage:
Locally, the Southwest Division has set up a phone bank that can be reached by calling 602-302-8888. Donations can also be made here at this website.
In less than 48 hours, the generous Phoenix community has donated over $435,000, and the calls have not slowed. Currently, Phoenix is collecting only monetary donations. Gifts are being limited to monetary donations for many reasons. At this point in time, all emergency response personnel are overloaded providing life saving and life-sustaining activitiesthere are no extra persons available to sort, handle and transport in-kind donations. In time, as supplies become exhausted, appeals for specific needs will be made. Monetary donations are also preferred because it can facilitate immediate relief efforts, and help restore the local economy.
Now the Red cross is doing most of the work at the Coliseum...
right now they're are so overwhelmed,
I'm waiting til my turn comes up before I ask
what we can do.
I'll post more info then.
As for Tucson..
I understand a heroic effort was
undertaken in getting the TCC ready
for 800 evacuees!
They're coming tonight or tomorrow.
Cheers to my Too-stoned peers!
Love gatsby
===============================
repost of important links:
The Times-Picayune
The mayor Speaks!
New Orleans Mayor Speaks
No more press conferences!
The ones needing help can't hear them anyway!
WRITE your elected leader!--NOW!--
To contact Loisiana Gov. Blanco
http://gov.louisiana.gov/contact.asp
To contact the President @ the White House:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
To contact your Senator:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
To contact your Representative:
http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml
This site has a number of already written letters
concerning this sad subject
in it's "soapbox section":
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
===================================
MoveOn.org now has an emergency housing site set up:
http://www.hurricanehousing.org
Under the spoiler is the complete e-mail-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Humanitarian aid for animal victims~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in honor of my own rescued dogs...
I offer these links:
American Kennel Club's Canine Relief Fund for lost or abandoned dogs.~link~
American Humane Association/Animal Rescue League effort~LINK~
Humane Society disaster relief fund~link~
(the following are reposted from our SGAnimal Rights group)
MistiDawn said:
Emily was fortunate to be away from her Louisiana home when Hurricane Katrina made landfall -- but now she is left to wonder about the condition of her home, and of her cat Toby.
Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast, and the human death toll is climbing. For survivors, concern over pets left behind only adds to their trauma.
Fortunately for people like Emily, the American Humane Association has deployed their emergency responders to provide humanitarian and emergency relief to families and their pets, and pets like Toby will be safe.
After Hurricane Katrina, Emily was left to wonder what had happened to Toby. The American Humane Association's Animal Emergency Services team is there to help the victims, pets and people when disasters strike
When disasters like Hurricane Katrina strike many people are forced to evacuate. Some evacuees were able to take their pets with them, while sadly, many others have had to leave the animals they love behind.
But help arrives quickly. After disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the American Humane Association comes to the rescue of many animals. The American Humane Association's Animal Emergency Services teams assess communities' and animal shelters' needs immediately after disasters strike. These teams then help coordinate animal rescue operations and provide emergency care and shelter to animal victims.
Many families are forced to evacuate and are unable to take their pets. The American Humane Association rescues and cares for these animals until they can be reunited with their families.
Michael Lawley,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team
DONATE HERE!
Save Us!! 
IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT NEEDS A PLACE FOR THEIR PETS TO FIND REFUGE FROM KATRINA I HAVE ROOM FOR ONE CAT AND IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT NEEDS A PLACE TO STAY I HAVE A SPARE BED ROOM PLESE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED HELP
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Firefly said:
please put this banner anywhere you can.....
(or a similar one from another org)
you can use the following in your journals and any posts on SG
One of the best comprehensive hyperlink updates/info
collection throughout all the web,
is from the PunditGuy's blog:
http://www.punditguy.com/2005/08/katrina_links.html
I highly recommend that you utilize
such a useful compendium of real time info.
For various charities I recomend this blog site:
instapundit's very helpful list of voluteer/charity sites~link~
=====================================
Helpful links specifically for New Orleans area victims:
=====================================
nola weblog- a site for families to find each other/shelter/friends/etc. ~LINK~
Craigslist New Orleans has offers of housing for Katrina refugees.~Link~
Helpful forums from New Orleans TV Station
WWLTV.com:
Searching for someone? post in this special forum/link
Are you okay? and you want loved ones to know you're safe-Post in this forum/link
come back to us already!