What to do!

Updated 11/3/05

HELP SHIP SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT DIRECTLY TO THE DISASTER ZONE!

HELP BY VOLUNTEERING ON-SITE!

Please lend a hand!  This is what you can do:

For donations of supplies and equipment, take a look at the left sidebar and click the links under 'DONATIONS NEEDED BY THESE GROUPS'.  Here are some useful suggestions in preparing your shipments:

• Packaging the items for easy sorting and distribution is essential.  Please -
  
  • Package like goods with like goods, so send separate boxes,
• Write/label clearly on the outside of the packages what's inside - "diapers", "assorted toiletries", "work gloves".

• For your convenience, we listed links to shippers on the left sidebar.

For volunteer opportunities, check the right sidebar for links to specific volunteer projects.

Friends, if you have any questions about anything, please send an email to: gracedb@yahoo.com.  You can also find an email link on the upper right sidebar.  Or, you may leave your question on the comments section at the bottom of any post.

FRIENDS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY.

Comments

[badgerbag]

My dad, who is from Venezuela and worked in the seasonally flooded plains on cattle ranches, suggests hammocks and mosquito netting. If you are going down there, bring a good woven cloth hammock, rope, and lots of mosquito netting. It is too hot to sleep comfortably in tents. People have to kind of learn how to deal with hammocks, and you need good ones from the tropics. Not the rope-net kind. ones from venezuela or colombia.

[Jeane]

My family has started an informal organization in Chicago. We have already shipped one semi full of supplies to Rayville, LA. We are filling trucks as long as needed and are looking for outlying areas that need our supplies. We have a warehouse and are taking donations all the time. We are also taking suggestions on what is needed, where. Please see our website (my brother is a computer guy) at www.filltheirtruck.org for more info. We would like to help in Mississippi as well. If you know of small shelters or cities that need supplies and are not getting them please let me know!

My email address is r.pesci@comcast.net.

My phone is 630-663-9044.

Thanks, Jeane.

PS We have a truck going to Pollack, LS this week. We would like the next one to be for MS.

[Eric B.]

Thank you to Crystal for directing me to this site. I have about 7 good size boxes of large adult clothing (both male and female) to donate. I live in the Seattle area and would like to see that these clothes benefit the Katrina victims. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions.

Eric B.

warnerbee@yahoo.com

[A Brennan]

I have several 20x20x20 boxes of backpacks stuffed with school supplies that I need to get to Shreveport. Are there any shippers that are still providing free shipping to the affected areas? I am in San Diego, CA.

[GraceD]

Hi there Eric!
Thanks for your comment. Why don't you take a look through the blog and see who needs help? We have a couple of posts highlighted on the right sidebar under 'Supply Lists'. Go for it! Thanks so much!

Hey there, A Brennan,
We don't know of any organizations offering free shipping. We sure we did as we would post it here. Maybe you could research that for us and you - ? Thanks!

[Connie McGrath]

HI! I just spent last week 9/9-9/16 volunteering at Bethel Luthern Church at 2521 Pass Rd, Biloxi, Mississippi. They had a distribution center for the victims and a clinic, along with baby clothes. Plenty of canned food,and other foods, tools, cleaning supplies, sheets, childrens toys, and personal hygiene products. The people were so thankful to be able to come in and pick up some things that they needed. We were all just happy to be doing God's work and serving these people. Along with that, some of our group was out fixing up houses so that they would be livable again. We are hopefully going to keep this up for a while as long as we have the volunteers.

[Jana]

Hi do you know of a shelter that is in need of childrens clothing from infant to size 6? We have collected a large amount from our community and want to put into the right hands. If you have found that one shipping company is cheaper then another to get it out to you please let me know as well we are in Sunny South Florida

[Alyssa Milstead]

I am a 6th grade student from Boise Idaho. I have been in a writing club for three years and we make really cool hardbound illustrated books. We have been getting donations from the community to make copies of our books to send to children or teachers in need. These books look like books you would buy in the store. Not only are they well written and illustrated but they are also beautiful. Do you have any ideas where we can start sending our books? This would be for children ages 7-12 Thank you and email to writingclubguru@hotmail.com

[Chas Herring]

Hi,
I am a resident of Hancock County near the Gulf in South Missisisppi. We were fortunate to still have a home to return to after the storm and have been diligently striving to help others less fortunate all around us. I just wanted to say you're a wonderful group of people and I know God will bless each of you for your kindness.

I did want to mention that an area which I feel has been overlooked is Pearlington, Mississippi. There are families there still living in tents and having to rely on volunteers for food and ice when available. Please be on the look-out for volunteer opportunities in that area.

Again, thank you for your help, your time and your prayers. I hope to email you all again in better times.

Chas Herring
6536 Alakoko Drive
Diamondhead, MS 39525

[Trinter]

I find that all the people we must help, the hurricane is a bad thing for all the people in usa. help is needed.

[Operation Hope]

We can help assist people who has been displaced due to the disaster, that are homeowner with no insurance or renters that their home is not livable, we have a grant (if you qualify) can pay for home repair or move in cost. The max grant is up to $3,000. Goto the website or call the toll free to apply. The Grant program closes when funding runs out. Call us for detail...

[Operation Hope]

We can help assist people who has been displaced due to the disaster, that are homeowner with no insurance or renters that their home is not livable, we have a grant (if you qualify) can pay for home repair or move in cost. The max grant is up to $3,000. Goto the website or call the toll free to apply. The Grant program closes when funding runs out. Call us for detail...

[sachuest]

Regarding post: by badgerbag on September 9 2005
Good suggestion, hammocks designed for the tropics. Now that the weather is cooler, insulation is something to consider.
Check out: http://www.hennessyhammock.com/index.htm

Because trees may not be available, click on links "Disaster Relief" and "As a tent" for alternative set-up solutions.
Also check out this clever solution: "Water collection system", you can add to a hammock.

Namaste,
sachuest

[sachuest]

Regarding post by: A Brennan on 9/16/05 and GraceD on 9/16/05:

I have not discovered any organizations that offer free shipping. Has anyone else?

Every time that I send a box, I do say it is for the relief effort and ask if they can give me a discount on shipping. I have always been given a discount on the shipping.

Namaste,
sachuest

[Cheryl Klamm]

I would like to help out for a week in August, Sept, or Nov of 2007. I am an xray tech, and am handy. I like to paint, and love people of all ages, especially children & teens and senior citizens....I am interested in the Gulfport, Ocean Springs area. Thanks, Cheryl