Four ways you can help Katrina survivors
Submitted by Wes Clark on September 6, 2005 - 6:11pm.
Call to Action
1) Contribute to Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Other Groups -- contributing to the Red Cross and Salvation Army is vital if you have not done so. The Red Cross is processing most of the Katrina Survivors, especially in the shelters. They are also taking the lead in trying to re-connect family members. The Salvation Army is serving food in the local shelters.
2) Help in States Hosting Katrina Survivors - if you live in a community hosting survivors, volunteer time and take other WesPAC Grassrooters with you. This is a labor intensive effort. A few hours helps a lot. Remember, this is like a marathon, not a sprint. We need to be helping over the next weeks, not just days.
3) Help Locally - volunteer in your local Red Cross or Salvation Army. Your local organizations should be helping to support the Gulf Coast and Survivor Shelter efforts. You can help them organize local support efforts to help the organizations directly involved. You can also volunteer to help local Police, Fire Department, and EMS organizations who are sending people to the Gulf Coast. Even if you are not certified to help in an official capacity, they may need extra hands to help their organizations.
4) Work through your church or union - many churches and unions are mobilizing people and resources to help affiliated churches or unions in the Gulf Coast area. Extra hands can make a difference.
Thank you for your efforts.
Wes
Thank you General Clark-
When the time comes, we're all very eager to hear you elucidate further about your idea of a sizeable civilian response corps. We ALL need disaster training in our own communities.
General,
The GOP attack dogs are out in full force to take down the Governor and Mayor.
It is clearly a Karl Rove "Swiftboating" effort. They plan on discrediting the local Democrats as quickly as possible to soften the blow against the President in the near and long term future.
Can we guarantee that Democrats will effectively fight back against this assault?
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
~George Washington
needs to bring up that the Gov of Mississippi is a Republican crony of Bush's and also that there more than a few repubs in Congress.
Why not?
I've read that Bush will make all the contracts for Katrina repair and construction go through his administration. It will be sweetheart deals for Haliburton and all the other cronies. How can we get the assurance that our money will be well spent and the places needing it will get it in a timely fashion?
We're doing all we can in the effort to help, we Clark bloggers, from helping adopt families to donating to all the places you've suggested. Alexm is work in a boat looking for survivors. Geaux is in Baton Rouge doing various things to help there. Coonbug has been working to help Donna Brazile reunite her family and get them on their feet in Baton Rouge. Ruth is sorting clothing at the Red Cross in Iowa. Others are doing things they haven't commented about on the blog. We all are holding the administration's feet to the fire on what happened here. As for the 'swiftboating' of local leaders, the response has to be that the buck stops with Bush. The evidence shows they were the ones with the authority and they dropped the ball. To say otherwise can only be met with the response, "the administration isn't telling the truth." It's the Rove spin machine.
Thank you for all you do. You were excellent of FOX.
Arkansas is hosting 70,000 evacuees from the Katrina disaster. I will be volunteering through the Red Cross. I just wish there was more I could do.
We, as many in the country and world, are participating in and searching for means to help.
I agree with BlueMoon's suggestion about a civilian response corps, as you have suggested; we would all like to help.
A civilian response corps is a suggestion from Wes mentioned at the conference today, not my idea- and it is something that should have been implemented after 9/11. The need has never been clearer or more urgent. So many people already do give back to their communities and are or have ties to first responders of all kinds.
It's also an ideal, selfless way to help others, build unity between Americans in our divisive and wrongful headed red/blue divide & strengthen our communities. Everyone, everyone, please look into getting disaster training from the American Red Cross- I am positive they are doing emergency training just about everywhere & certifying people.
A "Civil Defense Corp" that is well supported and well funded by the federal government is an excellent idea!
Like a national volunteer firefighter brigade.
Volunteers would be trained and equipt with supporting the first responders (police, firefighters, emt) with evacuations, first-aid, search and rescue, etc.
Think of how that would have helped New Orleans.
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
~George Washington
I listened to you speak this morning and you were extraordinary. One offering you had was the idea of a Civil Response Corps! It's a brilliant idea and one I would support, and I believe citizens all across this land should. In addition there was a question to you about training our governmental officials that was an expression of concern I've had as well. It seems it's time for some National Security Training Camps for our officials! (Can we start with President Bush?) You always answer everything to my satisfaction. Your speech should be played over and over on every MSM network.
New Mexico seems to be very busy helping in the ways you have outlined. I will help anywhere I can, Sir, and have already started.
Thank you again for all you do. Saying "thank you" must sound so redundant and meaningless. But you are so very loved and appreciated by all of us.
Bless you and yours! AND FIND TIME TO EAT FOOD! :)
Santa Fe, NM
I would rather spend my life searching for the truth than live a single day within the comfort of a lie. -- John Victor Ramses
Coalition to help train those who were displaced in basic computer skills. We generally have a few slots open in basic classes and will just call up the shelters to send a few down, daily, for the training.
Individuals can also help in other ways, such as volunteering, providing food and/or clothes, etc, helping to counsel (after training, of course) some of the transplants and aiding in providing daycare, etc.
This has been such a tragedy and once again you've offered a common sense approach that seems to have eluded this administration.
I will be doing all I can to help...and we all know you are doing all you can.
Being overseas means my ability is limited. I made contributed to those trying to help Donna Brazile's family and community and that is about all I can do and afford. I really wish I were on the ground to help in some way physically. I know Clark supporters are in the forefront of aid to the displaced.
Thank you for all you are doing for America.
Noel Schutz
Katrina survivors have come to Denver, Colorado. I called our Dept. of Human Services which was mentioned in the newspaper. They said all coordination had been turned over to the Red Cross and they gave me a phone number. I called our local Red Cross and got a recorded message that told me Please don't leave a message. They have more than enough help, and so many phone calls they cannot return them.
(emphasis in message.)
Glad they have help, but it was disappointing to know that I cannot help. Of course I could "press 4" if I wanted to give money.
originaLinda - do you have itmes to donate?
Arky Sue says that 70,000 persons are being housed in AR. I'm sending her some boxes of clothes for the displaced persons - she will take the donations with her when she goes to volunteer.
Thanks for that suggestion, Arky. We only have 100 and something so far! We were expecting more this week, and from what I read, officials even went to the airport to meet a plane, but it was not there! The usual disorganization and lack of communication we have heard about. We are told now to "expect them when we see them." !! But, we are supposed to be receiving 1000 soon, and maybe more later.
From what I am reading if I tried to deliver a box I'd be turned away - you know what we've all heard. I'm thinking also that maybe they are bombarded right now, but if I call again in a couple of weeks, maybe I would get through. It was just hard to believe that not only could I not talk to a real person, I could not even leave a message!
I am going to continue to try to help here locally, but if I can't, I'll follow up with you or Arky and consider shipping stuff. But, maybe if I'm going to pay to ship, I might as well donate the money. Or maybe I can give the clothes to our local Salvation Army.
Oh, well, isn't it crazy to want to help and be told "no." Reminds me of the time a couple of decades ago when I found myself alone for Christmas. I recall calling 3 or 4 places, food kitchens, etc., to donate my time, and no one needed me!!! Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
A client whose books I keep and whose checks I write asked me to write a check for $3,000.00 for the Katrina survivors!!! :). Made me feel good to do even though it is not my money. :). We discussed different charities, and I asked him if he wanted to "earmark" it for the people who have come to Denver, but he said no. We will probably give it to the American Red Cross in Washington. I have not written it yet as he only comes in periodically to sign checks, so I've kinda been thinking if I want to try to influence him to send it somewhere else. But, the Red Cross is good, and he mentioned them, so it will probably be that.
The Baton Rouge schools have taken in 1600 new students as a result of the hurricane, and hired 120 teachers (the teachers were also displaced by the disaster). One of the Clark bloggers lives in the school district and she and I are working on how to best help the students who have arrived with nothing other than the shirts on their backs. If you want to know more about her efforts, send me an email.
writerswrite2004 at yahoo dot com.
Or she might identify herself here as well for folks to contact her directly with offers of help.
Here you can find a lost family member, or report yourself as found, or any number of other things.
I'm proud to say that yers truly was part of this effort =)
Are prepared to take survivors, but they don't seem to want to come. It's really a shame as the Shawnee Mission School District is one of the best in the country and the kids can enroll there. Three churches have come together to offer housing as well as a school that was closed in the Johnson County being offered as a shelter. KCMO also will enroll students in their schools. Lots going on here to help them if they want to come. One of the churches sent 2 buses to Houston to pick up a planned 100 people, but came back with maybe 30. It's a shame, but they all want to stay in Texas and Baton Rouge. Wish they could think of it as spending a year abroad.
Thank you General Clark.