How you can REALLY help Katrina victims
If you've been wondering whether your donations to the American Red Cross and other large charities are getting to the people who need it most, if you're disturbed by stories of territoriality among relief organizations, then check out the Hurricane Katrina Direct Relief! blog. (Thanks to the Smart Bitches for directing me there.)This blog, which is constantly updated, gives addresses of hurricane shelters along with lists of badly needed items. It also mentions volunteer opportunities across the nation and particularly in the hard-hit areas. You, yes, YOU can directly help the people suffering in Katrina's aftermath.
The items on the lists are cheap when bought in bulk at Target or Costco, so with very little expense you can pack up a box or two (or ten), knowing that actual hurricane victims will benefit from your efforts. Zero Overhead! What could be better?
Here's an idea: hold a Bypass the Bureaucracies party. Invite your friends and have each of them bring buttloads of a few designated items. Then spend an afternoon sorting, packing, and shipping.
And since it's a party, don't forget the beer. Hooray beer!
2 Comments:
Grace of the Hurricane Relief blog here and I tell you, I needed that hoo-haw chuckle so bad, you don't even know. And beer? Yes. Needed even more than the hoo-haw.
Thanks Jeri for the heads-up link of our site. We've been going great guns for the folks in the shelters and they're getting the goods shipped to the shelter guests. Amazing!
The Internet. She is good to us.
All the best from my blog ground control in Santa Cruz, California.
Posted by:
GraceD at 9/15/2005 10:47 PM
Yeah, I was just thinking how the Internet's efficiency can save lives with blogs like yours. You can let people know in an instant when a certain shelter has all it needs or when a new shelter opens and needs everything desperately. And so on.
I wish you much stamina, and much beer. And hoo-haws, too.
Posted by:
Jeri at 9/16/2005 7:37 AM
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