Presbyterian Response Options to Hurricane Katrina
1. If you want to work, contact:
Mennonite Disaster Service,
Phone: 717-859-2210
Email: mdsus@mds.mennonite.net
Red Cross
Or call the number listed on the PDA website- (866) 732-6121
The PC(USA) will have work camp lists eventually.
2. If your church is interested in serving as a shelter, or you would like to offer your home as a host for displaced families, please register at
www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/hurricanekatrina-index.htm
3. If you want to prepare kits, check the PC(USA) website
www.pcusa.org/pda/help/goh.htm
There are different kinds of kits: Health Kits, School Kits,Hope-in-a-Box
Kits, Baby Kit, Clean-up Buckets. The contents of the kits are listed on
www.pcusa.org/pda/help/goh.htm. On the last page it tells that they can be
taken to Church World Service,
Brethren Service Center Annex,
New
Do NOT collect clothes.
During Hurricane Andrew, bulldozers needed to be diverted from the recovery
process to bury the tons of donated clothing because it created a vermin and
disease hazard.
Funds are most needed at the moment to provide
maximum flexibility in our response.
4. If you want to contribute money, check the PC(USA) website
www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/hurricanekatrina-index.htm
Contributions for the relief work of the Presbyterian Church (USA) can
be sent to the Presbytery office marked for Katrina Relief using the codes
listed below
a.
damage, DR000163.
b. Gifts by credit card can be made by calling PresbyTel at (800)
872-3283, or online at www.pcusa.org/pda/donate/accounts.htm
<http://www.pcusa.org/pda/donate/accounts.htm>.
c. Checks payable to the PC(USA) can be mailed to: Presbyterian Church
(
15264-3700.
You can also donate money to the Red Cross by visiting their website at:
Dear Friends,
I know lots of people are already contributing to relief efforts and may
have already made donations - but I wanted to let you know ways that you
can directly help family farmers and rural people who have been displaced
by the hurricane and its aftermath -- A long-time member of the National
Family Farm Coalition is the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. They are
based in
farmer controlled farmer marketing coops, credit unions, and housing coops
in
-- I have attached John Zippert's
(head of the
regarding their efforts --
So, donations can be sent directly to the Federation:
supplies you want to donate -start collecting and wait for an update on
where to send in
there is a chance that FEMA will be setting up a large trailer site in
high need for clothes and supplies.
Other options are to donate to the Farm Aid Disaster Fund.
http://www.farmaid.org/. Farm Aid has already donated $15,000 for
supplies for the camp in
Group for hurricane disaster response and to the
Conference -- and will be holding their 20th Anniversary
concert in
in two weeks. In addition, some musicians have announced that they will be
donating proceeds from other concerts to the Fund.
Or - you can donate to the National Family Farm Coalition --
http://www.nffc.net/ -
D.C. 20002-- we have re-activated our Credit Task Force and will be working
to do what we can to make sure that the federal disaster assistance meets
the needs of family farmers - and push for legislative fixes to existing
programs.
Or - you can donate to Oxfam
worked with Oxfam for many years and they support our domestic policy work.
They have also already donated $25,000 to the Federation for
the
camp -- http://www.oxfamamerica.org/ for an update on their efforts in
response to Katrina.
The Federation is offering direct financial and technical
assistance and support to our member families in the region with support
from partnering agencies like Oxfam
Development Foundation, Southern Partners Fund, Bert and Mary Meyer
Foundation, Sharing Inc., and others. We are assisting families to register
with the Red Cross and FEMA for more short and long term assistance but
these agencies are moving slowly and cautiously in the face of great needs
and remote rural conditions.
Over time the Federation would like to institute more long term
recovery efforts employing self-help cooperative principles including
developing housing cooperatives, self-help housing, worker owned
cooperative clean-up, rehab and construction crews, as well as our ongoing
work with farmers cooperatives and credit unions.
To assist these efforts, send supplies, funds and assistance to: FSC, 2769