Hurricane Katrina - How we can help

I have been stunned watching coverage of our devastated South, and this morning switched from feeling hopeless about the situation to trying to figure out how I can help victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Here's what I have come up with: 

• Donate.  Network for Good has a wonderful resource page comprised of charities that are mobilized to help hurricane efforts.  It has explanations of the charities, advice for how to give during a disaster, and links for other ways you can help.  Personally, I will be donating to Second Harvest to support their efforts to bring food to hurricane victims.

• Volunteer.  The Red Cross is sending volunteers to the South.  "Volunteers won't have to slog through waist-high water or fend off water moccasins ... but they will have to cope with human psychology.  'It's mostly dealing with people's issues as they settle in,' Smith said. 'And when you have hundreds of people under the same roof, you're going to have issues.'  The organization is also dispensing with its minimum three-week commitment and asking for only a week if that's all someone can spare."

• Read.  There are many ways that the online community is helping with communication efforts, trying to find people, and generally supporting hurricane victims.  I can't help but think that by supporting these communities and reading through postings, we may each find a way to help.

Craigslist New Orleans
Craigslist Jackson
Hurricane Katrina Help Wiki

Comments

[Jeanne]

Thanks for posting this Jen. It's absolutely horrible. A close friend of mine was evacuated. We've just found out that they have lost everything. It's so overwhelming to think about.

Also, Beauty Joy Food is doing an online food blog event to raise money: http://www.beautyjoyfood.com/?p=54#comments

[PapaCool]

History is in the making as this will prove to be an economic, humanitarian and environmental disaster that politicians, businesses and students will study for years. MommyCool asks a great question and want to know who made the major network programming calls for Tuesday night and why? As New Orleans slowly flooded the day after hurricane Katrina departed, ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX chose to air their regular 3-hour meaningless evening programming. What about Americans without cable, Internet or satellite reception? You’d find that most Americans either: (A) Know someone displaced by the storm and flooding; (B) Have been to New Orleans which is a city that will never be the same; or, (C) will feel the household spending strains of $3.50-$4.00 per gallon gas in the coming months. The networks, which are licensed to broadcast programming in the nation’s best interest over the public airwaves, had their news divisions noticeable absent during primetime, Tuesday, August 30th. Instead, the American public was treated to Big Brother, Most Outrageous TV Moments, a double-dose of According To Jim - Rodney (?!) and House! Peter Jennings just rolled over in his grave. Will the broadcast networks wake up after the President addresses the nation today?

[Sweetnicks]

Thanks for posting this information - it helps to feel a little less helpless.

[Tana Butler]

According to "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry," the

[Tana Butler]

Whoops, forgot this is one of those blogs that doesn't allow HTML.

Link to Editor & Publisher article here:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313

[jillian]

New Orleans Hospitality Workers Disaster Relief Fund
Greater Houston Community Foundation
4550 Post Oak Place, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77027
Call 713-333-2200 for additional information.

http://www.commanderspalace.com/new_orleans/index.php

[;]

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