Hurricane Katrina relief efforts

Tonight we donated items to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It was very easy. Picked up items at Walmart, then drove down to the St. Pete Times Forum. Pulled up in front of the Forum. Volunteers came up and assisted us and loading the items on carts. Thanks to Art Keeble of the Hillsborough County Arts Council who sent out an emailing to artists with the information.

Sticks of Fire noted an article in St. Pete Times about the effort.

ST. PETE TIMES FORUM: In an effort to help the victims of the hurricane, the St.
Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Storm are teaming up.
Donations will be accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Times Forum
box office. The Times Forum will accept monetary donations as well as
tangible items such as bottled water, non-perishable food items, convenience
foods, can openers, baby food, diapers, wipes, hygiene items, picnic supplies,
small charcoal grills and charcoal, tools, gloves, tarps, plastic, construction
materials, over the counter medication, first aid kits, flashlights, batteries,
candles, trash bags, generators, chain saws and hand tools.

Sherry Genovar-Simons of Southeast Seminole Heights is organizing an effort at the porch party tommorrow to collect money to give to Salvation Army for the Hurrricane victims.

"I watched some TV news this AM while getting ready for work. All those
people, killed, injured, displaced, and I realized that could have been us last year. We were lucky enough to be having a Hurricane Porch Party between Charlie and Ivan. It will be a long time before any of them even think about a party! I heard them tell people who live in New Orleans, to just go away and stay away,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there is nothing there. They have not only lost their homes, and their jobs, but also their town. One neighbor who got lucky cannot help the other who was not. It was universal!

They need help! I like you, work hard, pay for my living and have little more. But I do have a home, and a job and a city and a wonderful neighborhood! I wanted to ask all of you who feel as I do, lucky and frustrated on how to help to come to the porch party this Friday and bring money!"

The porch party is tommorrow,

Friday, September 2nd
7:00pm until ??
Hosts: Jeff and Kathy Conyers
802 E. Frierson

Come kick off the holiday weekend with your neighbors
Remember to bring a dish to share and byob

Don't forget to bring your favorite recipes to be included in the SESH Cookbook!

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Update: Sherry King of Yesterdaze just forwarded me an email from MoveOn.Org

Hurricane Katrina's toll on communities, homes and lives has devastated the nation. Now victims must face the daunting question of where to go next—and we can help.

Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are being bused to a stadium in Houston, where they may wait for weeks or months. At least 80,000 are competing for area shelters, and countless more are in motels, cars, or wherever they can stay out of the elements. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross are scrambling to find shelter for the displaced.

This morning, we've launched an emergency national housing drive to connect your empty beds with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to wait out the storm. You can post your offer of housing (a spare room, extra bed, even a decent couch) and search for available housing online at: http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans.

Please forward this message to anyone you know in the region who might be able to help.
But no matter where you live, your housing could still make a world of difference to a person or family in need, so please offer what you can.

The process is simple:

You can sign up to become a host by posting a description of whatever housing you have available, along with contact information. You can change or remove your offer at any time.
Hurricane victims, local and national relief organizations, friends and relatives can search the site for housing. We'll do everything we can to get your offers where they are needed most.

Many shelters actually already have Internet access, but folks without 'net access can still make use of the site through case workers and family members.

Hurricane victims or relief agencies will contact hosts and together decide if it's a good match and make the necessary travel arrangements. The host's address is not released until a particular match is agreed on.

If hosting doesn't work for you, please consider donating to the Red Cross to help with the enormous tasks of rescue and recovery. You can give online at:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=859

As progressives, we share a core belief that we are all in this together, and today is an important chance to put that idea to work. There are thousands of families who have just lost everything and need a place to stay dry. Let's do what we can to help.
http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Thanks for being there when it matters most.
—Noah Winer and the whole MoveOn.org Civic Action Team Thursday, September 1st, 2005