FOXNews.com - Politics - Rice: All Foreign Aid Offers Will Be Accepted
Here is the answer to my question, "Where's the international aid?!" I found out that we have received offers, we just haven't taken anyone up on them yet. I thought it was weird, though, that some countries offered help "if asked". Can someone explain this to me?
FEMA news
Hey ya'll. Jef suggested I check out the links I listed before, because some places/people will (of course!) try to scam people out of their money using this tragedy. (people stink) So I looked up the hurricane on
www.snopes.com (where I go to check all my stories!). That led me to the
FEMA website, which has the following info on its homepage. You will notice that some of the links are redundant when compared to my previous post. Those are the places I would think are most reliable.
Cash Sought To Help Hurricane Victims, Volunteers Should Not Self-Dispatch
Release Date: August 29, 2005Release Number: HQ-05-177
» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Katrina» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina» More Information on Florida Hurricane KatrinaAdditional Hurricane Katrina ResourcesWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Voluntary organizations are seeking cash donations to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, according to Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. But, volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency.
“Cash donations are especially helpful to victims,” Brown said. “They allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs. Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Donated money prevents, too, the prohibitive cost of air or sea transportation that donated goods require.”Volunteer agencies provide a wide variety of services after disasters, such as clean up, childcare, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food.
“We’re grateful for the outpouring of support already,” Brown said. “But it’s important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm’s way and hamper rescue efforts.”
Here is a list of phone numbers set up solely for cash donations and/or volunteers.
Donate cash to:
American Red Cross1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English, 1-800-257-7575 Spanish;
Operation Blessing1-800-436-6348
America’s Second Harvest1-800-344-8070
Donate Cash and/or Volunteer
Adventist Community Services1-800-381-7171
B'nai B'rith International1-888-388-4224
Catholic Charities, USA1-800-919-9338
Christian Disaster Response 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee1-800-848-5818
Church World Service1-800-297-1516
Convoy of Hope417-823-8998
Corporation for National and Community Service Disaster Relief Fund(202) 606-6718
Feed the Children1-800-525-7575
Lutheran Disaster Response800-638-3522
Mennonite Disaster Service717-859-2210
Nazarene Disaster Response888-256-5886
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance800-872-3283
Salvation Army 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440
United Jewish Communities1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440
Union for Reform JudaismUnited Methodist Committee on Relief1-877-277-2477
For further information: visit the website for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at:
http://www.nvoad.org/.
This list of organizations is provided by the National Organization of Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster. Please email
EST-DONAT-A@dhs.gov if you are interested in having your organization added to the list.
Please check with your tax advisor or the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding the tax deductibility of your donation.The listing of or omission of an institution or organization on this Web site does not refer to programmatic capability nor does it confer any official status, approval, or endorsement of the institution or organization itself. This listing does not purport to be a listing of all organizations that are providing relief in the affected area. Additionally, there may be organizations providing relief in the affected area that are not accepting donations at this time. It is not the purpose of this Web site to make, or enable to be made, any representation to the public concerning the organizations listed. This listing is for informational purposes only. Any contributions you choose to make from links on this Web site are at your sole discretion.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Hurricane Katrina
Here are some links to help people who have lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.
KSBJ, a local Houston radio station, is accepting gift cards for the refugees. They are also networking many people together, so if you are willing to open your home for a dinner or to offer a place to sleep, they could probably tell you where to call. They also have several College Station area churches that are offering shelter listed on their web site.
http://www.ksbj.com/Northridge Baptist Church in Houston is collecting gift cards to send to First Baptist Church, Slidell, LA. The pastor has friends who attend there who will distribute the gift cards to church members. At this point, the church is under 8 feet of water. Please bring your gift cards to Northridge Baptist Church by MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH. Try to stick with Wal-Mart, Sam's, Target, McDonald's, etc. They may not have the same grocery stores there as we do here. If you have questions about either of the above, please contact the church at 936-756-6596.
Red Cross - If you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross, please call 1-800-HELP-NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. Internet users can make a secure online credit card contribution by visiting
http://www.redcross.org/ or
www.houstonredcross.org.
Houston Food Bank -
http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/West Houston Church of Christ is collecting gift cards (phone, gas, food, Wal-Mart, etc) in any denomination to be distributed to Hurricane Katrina victims in Red Cross shelters in Texas. The collection will extend through the month of September and cards may be brought to West Houston Church of Christ, 17100 West Road, Houston, TX 77095. For additional information, see our website
http://www.westhoustonchurch.org/ or call 281-856-0001.
ICNA Relief-Helping-HandP.O. Box 572181, Houston - Texas 77257
www.icna.orgProject Noah
www.projectnoah.orgStarting as a lifeboat for the many home schoolers and other families hurt by Tropical Storm Allison in June of 2001, Project Noah soon became a loving facet of the homeschool community with the mission to help homeschool families in crisis. They are now helping families whose children will be staying home from public school for the next two months due to Hurricane Katrina.
Samaritan's Purse
www.samaritanspurse.orgSamaritan's Purse is dispatching its Disaster Relief Units and mobilizing hundreds of volunteer workers to help repair as many homes as possible. Two tractor-trailers loaded with emergency supplies and equipment are ready to roll into devastated communities as soon as the storm passes and it is safe to work.
Baton Rouge Area Foundation Establishes Hurricane Katrina Disaster Funds
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation announced today the establishment of two new funds in response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina to southeast Louisiana. Donations are now being accepted. Tax deductible donations to one or both of these funds are now being accepted online at
http://www.braf.org/. Donations by check should be made out to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the designation of the fund noted on the memo line. Checks should be mailed or delivered to 402 North Fourth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.
And here are more contacts:
Operation Blessing: 800-436-6348
America's Second Harvest: 800-344-8070
Adventist Community Services: 800-381-7171
Catholic Charities, USA: 703-549-1390
Christian Disaster Response: 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: 800-848-5818
Church World Service: 800-297-1516
Convoy of Hope: 417-823-8998
Lutheran Disaster Response: 800-638-3522
Mennonite Disaster Service: 717-859-2210
Nazarene Disaster Response: 888-256-5886
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 800-872-3283
Salvation Army: 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
Southern Baptist Convention - Disaster Relief: 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
United Methodist Committee on Relief: 800-554-8583
I had to throw in a comment about the hurricane & lack of help people in New Orleans are receiving. I've seen a lot of people on the news (not newspeople, just regular people) saying that this is the government's fault & such. I have yet to hear, though, of one single international offer of help. When the tsunami hit Indonesia, we were there within HOURS. NO ONE has offered help. You might think that some countries who have oil & such would offer a cut in prices, so our gas prices don't skyrocket. Nope. You might think that other countries (whom we have helped many a time when they were in need) might send over relief troops or just supplies. NOPE. This morning I watched The FOX Report that Jef taped for me yesterday. At the beginning, I thought, Shep is standing on a road, and there are buses & trucks going by. Why isn't the Red Cross getting in there? Why aren't there people posting sign to help the stranded know where to go? But then Jef reminded me that there are millions of people stranded, water everywhere, and we are doing the best we can. Where Shep was was like a high place - I don't even know if that overpass led anywhere.
Anyways -- all that to say - where is the world when America needs them?? We go everywhere to help everyone. We send money, at the very least, and more often send tons of relief in the form of people & supplies. I just found it cynically humorous that the world does not do the same for us.
~Note (9/1/05 5:49PM) ~
Jef told me that America is receiving international aid, and many churches are also helping out. So I am revising my statements above. I am wondering why we aren't hearing about this help & support on the news?? The news was all over the countries offering aid during the tsnuami. Curious.
sts51fThere are some pretty neat pictures here. Couldn't get them to just post here, so I am posting the webpage. :) Enjoy!
(because I used to live near Cape Canaveral, FL, I *love* the space shuttle & watching it launch & all that stuff.)
Wednesday
Today is a nice day. It has cooled off a bit, although I still have the fan going. :) It is a nice day. I am tired, because Jef & I stayed up last night watching "the Office" a silly Britcom that we got from blockbuster.com.
Did laundry today. Now I am avoiding the dishes, but I will do them as soon as I am done here.
Yesterday I thought I would never get done! Jef went out looking for businesses, as you know, so I started cleaning our room. Cleaning is the wrong word. Mostly, I began by piling everything I could on to the bed. Then I moved my dresser (it was next to the bed) and vacuumed. We used to have one of those decorator tables with three legs, you know - the pressboard kind, that you can put a glass top on? I found the legs, but couldn't find the top. Kinda freaked out for a bit, as I had done so much work, and there were still piles on the bed, and I needed to move my dresser back! Thankfully God gave me another solution. It took all day, but now my room is clean! It isn't like a hotel room (like FLYLady says it should be), but it is clean, tidy & nice. :)
Ok. Off to clean some more! Hope you all are having a good day!!
Oh, question of the day ... what do you think of New Orleans being flooded?
new stuff
If you look on the left-hand side, at the menus there, you'll see two new sections. One is friend's blogs. Those are blogs of my friends. Then there's Links, which are links to places on the web I like. :) I'll update that as I go along.
Weekend News...
Ok, this whole title thing just gets me! No points for originality here!!
Let's see, we've been busy, kinda. I feel like we've been going a lot, but can't think of what all we've been doing. So I will just start with Friday. :o)
Thursday evening, my friend Mary called to see if we (the kids & I) wanted to go to the zoo. I said, "Sure!" So we arranged for her to pick us up around 10:30. So, on Friday, the boys & I went to the zoo with Mary, Aaron & Charissa. The boys loved it, had a blast & didn't want Aaron & Charissa to go home! It was neat. We played at the Kid's Zone, saw the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre presentation, played at the Kids' (it is a place for more than one kid, so wouldn't you say "kids' " rather than "kid's"??) Zone some more, went to the Aquarium, managed to be there for the squid dissection (eeeewwww! Actually it was really informative & a great interactive learning time for the kids), went to see the sea otters, buluga whales and the walrus, went to see the polar bear (we saw his ear!! Usually we don't see them at all!), saw the reindeer, the owls, and then headed out. It was a long day, but really fun.
When Mary dropped us off, Aaron & Charissa came in and played Daniel's new Star Wars game for a bit. That was fun for all of them. :)
Saturday I started Fall cleaning. Well, actually, I haven't gotten to the cleaning part of it, we mostly sorted and threw away or designated as "give away" a bunch of stuff. In our house, we have three closets. Jef's & my bedroom has a closet, it is about the normal size you'd expect to find in a regular bedroom (it's not a walk-in or anything like that!). Then there is the linen closet, which is on the small side of the linen-closet range. :) The third closet we have is the coat closet by the front door. It is a good-sized space, with two drawbacks. 1) the mail slot is in there, so there must be a way to get to it from the doorway. 2) the bar for hanging coats is curved, it is shaped like a backward & sideways "s" (this limits how high & wide things can be). So when you are stacking things in the coat closet, you have to be mindful of these conditions. :) We decided a year or so ago that we didn't need our storage space anymore. They had consistently raised the price on it from $24/mo. to $39/mo. So we took all our stuff out of there, and moved it here. Most of it went into the coat closet. We tried different arrangements before, but we still had too much stuff for the amount of space we have.
So on Saturday, I started dragging out tubs (rubbermaid) from the coat closet. I went through all the different tubs & consolidated stuff and threw stuff out, and marked stuff to give away. On Sunday, Jef moved some tubs from the coat closet into our closet. Everything is pretty organized now. I still have a lot of papers and paper-type stuff to go through and organize and get rid of, but we are doing better. :) Maximizing our space!
Today was fun. We went to Borders & read. Then to Costco, for gas and groceries. I may shop there more often. Their milk is around $2/gallon, their eggs are decently priced and today I found cheese for cheaper than I usually get it, and cereal for $2/box. :)
Ok, Jef is going to go to businesses in the morning, so I am going to bed.
Night everyone!
