Harris County (Houston) calling for volunteers!

[ihaveaquestion]

Posted on the Southwest UU Conference website...

http://www.swuuc.org/hurricane-astrodome.html

"Hurricane Katrina -- Harris County

Just in:
http://www.harriscountycitizencorps.com/

From County Judge Robert Eckels:

Harris County Citizen Corps Members,
Today we are going to help those who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina who are currently located in the Super Dome in New Orleans. Up to 25,000 citizens are going to be relocated to the Astro Dome. We need your help. We are requesting volunteers to assist in setting up the dome with cots and other basic necessities. This needs to be completed by 1700 or 5pm CST. We need for you to forward to anyone who can help through your businesses, churches, and organizations. We will also need volunteers to assist in the documentation and check in of all who arrive. CERT Teams will be needed to assist citizens from the buses to the check in locations. Logistical information with locations and staging areas will be sent out shortly. Please respond to this e-mail and let us know how many people you have that can assist, include time frames, as this will be a 24/7 operation.

This task is unprecedented and can be completed with the support of our citizens.
Thank you for your continued support,
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
Chairman Harris County Citizen Corps "

The Harris County Citizen Corps website itself seems to be having problems, but the contact link has this email address on it - [e-mail].

-Sharon

[johnnie]

1. Recommended

Get this to the front page...please.

[crispini]

Please post this in TEXAS forum if you haven't already.

[crispini]

2. Please post this in TEXAS forum if you haven't already.

[flamingyouth]

3. Thanks for posting

If I lived in Houston I'd be down there for sure.

I may contact them, as a volunteer group I belong to wants to donate clothes and school supplies to the displaced children who've gone to Houston.

[ronnykmarshall]

4. Question about the Astro Dome:

Is it no longer used for football games?

What kind of shape is it in?

[GOPisEvil]

5. It's currently used for large conventions and gatherings.

It's being maintained and is in good shape.

[intheflow]

6. I wonder if they'll let the refugees use the team showers?

Thought that while taking my own shower this morning. I hope so.

[ihaveaquestion]

8. This is what I heard on the radio this morning.

They'll have air-conditioning, food, water and showers. Heaven!

[ronnykmarshall]

12. Thank god.

I'm donating clothes. I might throw in some of my old Clinton, Gore and Kerry shirts as well.

[bookman]

9. Astrodome..

..is used rarely, but it is used. I believe it will be air conditioned.

[intheflow]

7. Thanks so much for posting.

I've contacted organizations I know down there to see if I can find housing. If I can find housing, I can go down and help with this effort. Peace!

[crispini]

10. Please post in the DU Texas forum

we have lots of good Houston Dems who'd be willing to put you up.

[intheflow]

15. Good call!

Now why didn't I think of that? Thanks, crispini!

[CitySky]

11. contact your local Red Cross

and ask about "Boot Camp" for volunteers. They train you, then send you here as Red Cross. Also some DUers have space for refugees; if the space is still available, maybe one of them can host you. check the Louisianna forum for that thread.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. I'm looking into that as well.

[intheflow]

14. I've been trying to get a real person at my local RC for days.

Keep getting an answering machine no matter what local number I call. The one person I got yesterday was all snooty telling me Nat'l RC wasn't interested in having untrained volunteers and had no plans to offer any disaster training. :grr:

So going the church route instead. I'm UU clergy, so the UU connections will probably work out. But thanks for the suggestion anyway!

[AnnieBW]

16. Spread To Other Boards

I've spread this to the Farscape and Lost boards that I'm on.