Katrina Aid

[RayB (France)]

We want to make a donation to assist those suffering from the loss of much of their lives. We can't even imagine what they are going through. We have been gone 20 years now and would apprectiate your opinions of where best to do so. When we were still there our favorite was the Salvation Army.

Thanks

[Judy G. Russell]

IMX, the two best are the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The Red Cross because of the sheer scope of what they undertake. The Salvation Army because they do what they do with such heart and such caring.

American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html) (1-800-HELP-NOW -- 1-800-435-7669 -- and mention the disaster relief fund, or American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013, and mark the check for the Disaster Relief Fund)

Salvation Army (https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=USN-hurricane05) (To donate by phone, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY -- 1-800-725-2769; To donate by mail, send checks, earmarked 'disaster relief,' to PO BOX 4857 JACKSON, MS 39296-4857).

WARNING: (said with a smile) both sites are VERY busy today so it may take time to get through.

[RayB (France)]

**WARNING: (said with a smile) both sites are VERY busy today so it may take time to get through.**

Thanks, Judy, and isn't that good news! There is no rush. These folk are going to be in need for a long time to recover . . . . if they can.

How devastated these people have to feel. Phew!

[Judy G. Russell]

How devastated these people have to feel. Phew!
That may be the understatement of this century. And now, of course, the warnings are disease: cholera, typhoid, dysentary...

Nightmare. Total nightmare.

[Lindsey]

That may be the understatement of this century. And now, of course, the warnings are disease: cholera, typhoid, dysentary...

Nightmare. Total nightmare.
Another piece of the nightmare: one blogger was pointing out that the people who were wiped out by this hurricane have only until October 17 to file for bankruptcy under the old rules. Otherwise, they may find themselves in the equivalent of indentured servitude for the next seven years.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh Lord... I hadn't even thought of that. So catastrophic illness and natural disasters don't count for beans with the "compassionate conservatives" who brought us the new Bankruptcy Act. Sigh...

[Lindsey]

Oh Lord... I hadn't even thought of that. So catastrophic illness and natural disasters don't count for beans with the "compassionate conservatives" who brought us the new Bankruptcy Act. Sigh...
Careful; we're going to be accused of politicizing a tragedy...

--Lindsey

[woodswell]

Judy, Maybe the thousands of tragedies along the Gulf Coast will be the impetus for throwing out that new Bankruptcy Act. I cannot see how the political party will matter when people who have lost everything through no fault of their own could be forced to pay for houses that no longer exist. It will not just be a person here or there that will be in this situation, it will be tens, hundreds of thousands who were put there - through an act of GAWD.

Caring and true compassion are not partisan issues.
Anne

[Judy G. Russell]

I sincerely hope you're right, Anne -- but then again I would hope that most people with mortgages also would have insurance. It's the people who will have lost all they own -- except their debts (credit card, etc.) -- who may need the help more.

[Judy G. Russell]

I'll plead guilty to that: when politics get in the way of doing what's right, you're darned right I consider it a political issue!

[Lindsey]

We want to make a donation to assist those suffering from the loss of much of their lives. We can't even imagine what they are going through. We have been gone 20 years now and would apprectiate your opinions of where best to do so. When we were still there our favorite was the Salvation Army.
Just to keep the list going: Another organization that was just mentioned on MSNBC is United Way of Houston (http://www.unitedwayhouston.org), which is helping with the many refugees from New Orleans who have been evacuated there.

Also, mentioned today on the Diane Rehm Show was an organization called Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/), a non-profit evaluator of charitable organizations. They have a special page (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/catid/68/cpid/310.htm) set up for organizations set up to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

By the way, the Salvation Army came in for quite a bit of praise on that same show. They're able to feed people for about half the cost per meal of the Red Cross. ($3 per meal as opposed to $6 per meal)

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

And tagging on... for those who (like me) are just dying at the thought of all the pets left behind... there are:

the ASPCA (https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Donation?ACTION=SHOW_DONATION_OPTIONS&CAMPAIGN_ID=4761&s_src=disaster&s_subsrc=hurricanepage&JServSessionIdr011=d79uwzo7q2.app25b)
the Humane Society (https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005)
Noah's Wish (http://www.noahswish.org/Donations.htm) and
the North Shore Animal League (https://secure.ga3.org/01/support_rescue)