I want to donate - but NOT to the Red Cross

[elfin]

or Salvation Army - so what is left that isn't "faith based." The Red Cross has disapointed me in the past via 9-11 and other issues and the Salvation Army discriminates against gays - so what is left????

[Lars39]

1. See if there is a medical team from your city or town going down there.

They need help buying supplies.

[elfin]

3. thanks - will check if I can figure out how - eom

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. You could wait and see was Oxfam decides.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Go local

If you live in an area that is housing/helping the refugees, you may find that the town has set up a fund at one of the local banks to help the people. That's what they've done in Harrison AR.

[globalvillage]

5. Do you have a spare room?

Dear MoveOn member,

Hurricane Katrina's toll on communities, homes and lives has devastated the nation. Now victims must face the daunting question of where to go next—and we can help.

Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are being bused to a stadium in Houston, where they may wait for weeks or months. At least 80,000 are competing for area shelters, and countless more are in motels, cars, or wherever they can stay out of the elements. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross are scrambling to find shelter for the displaced.

This morning, we've launched an emergency national housing drive to connect your empty beds with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to wait out the storm. You can post your offer of housing (a spare room, extra bed, even a decent couch) and search for available housing online at:

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans.

Please forward this message to anyone you know in the region who might be able to help.

But no matter where you live, your housing could still make a world of difference to a person or family in need, so please offer what you can.

The process is simple:


You can sign up to become a host by posting a description of whatever housing you have available, along with contact information. You can change or remove your offer at any time.


Hurricane victims, local and national relief organizations, friends and relatives can search the site for housing. We'll do everything we can to get your offers where they are needed most. Many shelters actually already have Internet access, but folks without 'net access can still make use of the site through case workers and family members.


Hurricane victims or relief agencies will contact hosts and together decide if it's a good match and make the necessary travel arrangements. The host's address is not released until a particular match is agreed on.

If hosting doesn't work for you, please consider donating to the Red Cross to help with the enormous tasks of rescue and recovery. You can give online at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=859

As progressives, we share a core belief that we are all in this together, and today is an important chance to put that idea to work. There are thousands of families who have just lost everything and need a place to stay dry. Let's do what we can to help.

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Thanks for being there when it matters most.

—Noah Winer and the whole MoveOn.org Civic Action Team
Thursday, September 1st, 2005


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[TerdlowSmedley]

6. Actually, most of the Christian denominations have become

fairly active and expert in disaster relief. They've become by necessity and experience very specialized in different fields and coordinate much of their work efforts together. A gift to any of these church-run charities would be money well spent.

[Roland99]

7. Here's a bunch of info for donations/assistance:

Donation/assistance links:
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

http://www.redcross.org /

http://www.noahswish.org

http://www.teamster.org/05news/hn_050830_2.htm

http://www.msana.com/msadisasterrelief.htm

http://www.la-spca.org/forms/donations.htm

http://www.hssm.org /


MoveOn.org is sponsoring Hurricane Housing

Hurricane Katrina has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. But thousands of people throughout the region are stepping into the breach to offer free shelter to those in need.

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Offer up a spare bedroom, rental house, vacation home, etc. to storm refugees


Operation Blessing [phone]

America's Second Harvest [phone]

Adventist Community Services [phone]

Catholic Charities, USA [phone]

Christian Disaster Response [phone] or [phone]

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee [phone]

Church World Service [phone]

Convoy of Hope [phone]

Lutheran Disaster Response [phone]

Mennonite Disaster Service [phone]

Nazarene Disaster Response [phone]

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance [phone]

Salvation Army (800) SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief [phone], ext. 6133


United Methodist Committee on Relief [phone]

LOUISIANA SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS:
Web: http://www.la-spca.org

NATIONAL VOLUNTARY
ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER:
Web: http://www.nvoad.org



Following is a list of other Web sites offering disaster relief information:

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Phone: [phone]-FEMA
http://www.fema.gov/

Louisiana Homeland Security
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/

City of New Orleans
http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx

Louisiana Governor's Office
http://www.gov.state.la.us/

Catholic Charities
Phone: [phone]
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/

FEMA Charity tips
http://www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
http://www.nvoad.org/

Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
http://www.la-spca.org/

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
Ande Miller, Executive Director
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]


State Emergency Organizations:

FEMA State Emergency Contact — http://www.fema.gov/fema/statedr.shtm

Alabama Department of Public Safety
Phone: [phone]
Website: http://www.dps.state.al.us

Alabama Emergency Management Agency
5898 County Road 41
P.O. Drawer 2160
Clanton, Alabama 35046-2160
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: http://www.ema.alabama.gov

Florida Division of Emergency Management
2555 Shumard Oak Blvd.
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.floridadisaster.org

Florida Emergency Preparedness Association
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.fepa.org

Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov

Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness
7667 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.loep.state.la.us

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
P.O. Box 4501 - Fondren Station
Jackson, Mississippi 39296-4501
Phone: [phone]
Toll Free Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.mema.state.ms.us
http://www.msema.org/mitigate/mssaferoominit.htm

Georgia Emergency Management Agency
P.O. Box 18055
Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.State.Ga.US/GEMA/

[elfin]

11. Thanks to all - I appreciate all the links

Will give blood soon - and money to as local and trustworthy as I can find. Will go to MoveOn right this minute.

[TerdlowSmedley]

13. Warning: "Operation Blessing" is a Pat Robertson

organization. Your donation will probably pay Pat to pray for the Creator to finish off all the heathen "cullids" looting drinking wate and diapers.

[pop goes the weasel]

8. this atheist donates to Mercy Corps

They have a good track record of making sure that donations are directed at grass roots needs. They are affiliated with the Episcopal Church, I believe, but don't make a big deal about their particular religious dogma. I'm all for people who let their actions be their prayers and sermons.

[Synnical]

9. American Atheists suggest

the following:

Helping the Victims of Katrina…

“All we have is each other…”

AMERICAN ATHEISTS urges all fellow nonbelievers to contribute to the rescue and other humanitarian efforts in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina.

A number of secular, non-religious aid organizations are active in this relief campaign. They do not incorporate a religious message in their operations, nor do they proselytize to those in need.

* AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS (Founded by Deist-Unitarian Clara Barton)
* UNITED WAY OF AMERICA
* NETWORK FOR GOOD (has numerous listings for helping groups, both religious and secular)
* HUMANE SOCEITY OF THE UNITED STATES (Our winged and four-legged friends need help, too!)
* The MASONIC SERVICES ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA has established a Katrina Hurricane Relief fund and accepts on-line donations.

OTHER CHARITIES will be listed as we learn about their participation in the relief effort. Everyone contributor should be aware of scams; unfortunately, not all “charities” are legitimate and have a proven track record. Also, there are “religious” outreaches that do not proselytize as part of their efforts to help others. If you have a suggestion for an established, reputable secular humanitarian group that is worth of our support and would like to see it listed here, contact [e-mail] and we may be able to include it in this list.

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

Links to the above are available at http://www.atheists.org/

I'll edit this post to have working links, if the thread lasts more than five minutes.

[ofrfxsk]

10. The Network for Good has many charities

both faith based and secular to choose from.

http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/animal_environ/hurricanes/

[graywarrior]

12. You could donate to the Nation of Islam

http://www.noi.org

[Zynx]

14. This does seem awfully petty to me.

Am I missing something here? The money should be given to whoever is best able to provide help, and if that means giving it to the most looney church down in LA, I would do so.

[ocean girl]

15. Oxfam is taking donations on it's website

to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

We just gave them $100.