- Sat Sep 03, 2005 10:41 am #101 If you know of any relief efforts and their locations, please post them along with where they are located.

I know the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are accepting donations and what I heard was they are asking for cash.

Schools, colleges and universities are opening their doors to students of all ages.

I put out an email on the Legacy listserv a few days ago where my radio station (G105) was accepting donations during our morning show period in three Lowe's Foods locations. I just want everyone to see what is possible:

We received over $100,000 in cash donations and instead of taking 3 semi-trailers we are taking eight. EIGHT -- that's huge! Two of the trucks were left in Alabama yesterday while the other six are en route to Mississippi and Louisiana today. I don't remember which city they were going to but I do remember it being just outside of New Orleans.

While we were accepting, it was like a constant stream of cars, some dropping off money while others had CARLOADS and some had the entire backs of trucks filled with supplies. Shopping carts filled to the brim, boxes on pallettes and a packed semi-truck occupied almost a whole row of parking spaces. One kid on his way to school walked over and gave us $2.25 and we told him thank you. He said it was his lunch money.

Another man walked up and he had a ziploc baggey full of change with a wad of bills. I gladly accepted it from him and told him thank you. He said that every year his family saves up money all year to go to Disney World in February -- and he was donating those savings. It was almost $500.

It was an extremely powerful event so thank you to anyone who came and donated. If you are interested, you can track where the food is and see the pictures from the event on the website www.bobandtheshowgram.com .


If you know of any other events that people in your area can get involved in, please post them.

Thank you all

Peace,
Love,
~Jason, NC66

- Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:14 pm #102 Thank you Jason for your giving. Here is a way for a large group of Legacy graduate to give. There is a tremendous need for Disaster Mental Health Relief. North Carolina and national psychology associations (NCPA, NCPF, APA) coordinate Disaster Response Networks (DRN) and work closely with Red Cross. They are releasing information to their Disaster Response teams, of which I am a member. I will copy a portion of one of their emails that contain very useful information for anyone who wants to give in this way. Red Cross has waved their requirement of special mental health disaster response training due to the magnitude of the need for such services. Also, please note that the information that is provided below, and in the consumer accessible link of APA site, is useful to anyone regardless of their profession. Here it goes:


We are contacting you to give you some information about response to
Hurricane Katrina. We also suspect many of you have been considering how
best to assist those impacted by this horrible tragedy which has impacted
Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and neighboring states. Much information is
yet to come, but one message is clear: Disaster volunteer help is needed!

LOCAL HELP IS POSSIBLE:

Licensed mental health professionals who are interested in volunteering but
cannot travel or make the time commitments to travel are encouraged to help
out with office support at their local Red Cross chapters or other local
disaster relief agency. Staff members from these offices are likely to be
recruited to the relief operations and regular office operations will likely
need a hand. Many local Red Cross chapters may also be planning to organize
fund raising initiatives and may need help with these endeavors. There are
many ways for creative volunteers to offer help now in their own
communities. You can find your local chapter at http://www.redcross.org - when you
get into the home page click again on RedCross.org on the right side toward
the bottom and it brings you to a page where you can enter your zip code on
the left and it will bring up your chapter. (Please be patient with your
chapter if you are having trouble getting in connected with anyone; a large
volume of volunteers are being processed.)

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD:

The American Psychological Association (APA) is working primarily with the
American Red Cross (ARC) to support relief efforts. Trained disaster mental
health volunteers are encouraged them to work through their local Red Cross
chapters to be mobilized. These volunteers will offer assistance to
displaced residents and Red Cross employees at shelters and various
assistance centers. In addition, the Red Cross is looking to recruit
disaster mental health volunteers to field calls from concerned citizens at
its 24 hours/ 7 days a week national call center located in northern
Virginia. The Red Cross is operating volunteer staging areas outside the
affected regions that will enable them to quickly direct volunteers to the
areas of greatest need. Some of the volunteers' duties may include helping
shelter residents adjust and manage their temporary living environment;
serving as a conduit for information about where to seek assistance;
accompanying and supporting family members as they ultimately return to
their neighborhoods; helping residents to problem-solve and make a recovery
plan; and acting as a liaison with local mental health professionals.

Because of the magnitude of this disaster, ARC has informed APA that it will
be accepting applications from practitioners even if they have not taken its
disaster mental health training. Licensed psychologists and some other
licensed mental health professionals who are interested in volunteering are
encouraged to apply. Starting September 1st, APA will be posting an online
application that can be filled out and faxed to the
American Red Cross to volunteer. Those accepted as volunteers - and that
includes only those in good health who are willing to volunteer for at least
two weeks - will be assigned as necessary by the American Red Cross. Many
assignments will be to areas of hardship conditions (lack of power,
plumbing/water, minimal housing, etc). Also, based on current assessments,
relief operations will be on-going for several months. Accordingly, ARC
plans to send out volunteers in waves/shifts. There will be a considerable
time frame over which you can volunteer and/or be recruited. Because of the
likely on-going need for assistance, not all volunteers will mobilized
within the first two weeks.

INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE:

APA has posted news about its involvement in hurricane relief efforts on the
http://www.apapractice.org and http://www.apa.org websites. In addition, APA has posted a
new fact sheet entitled "Managing Traumatic Stress: After Hurricane Katrina"

PLEASE REPORT BACK TO US:

If you do any response, locally or in the affected areas, please let us know
and give us feedback. We always like to recognize mental health
professionals who have volunteered and are trying to keep more specific data
on how many have responded from which areas. This data is needed to support
DRN programs, at both a state and national level. Reports of responding to
a disaster incident can include 1) deployment to a relief operation; 2)
deployment to a call center; 3) assisting your local Red Cross chapter or
disaster relief organization with activities related to the disaster
incident; 4) assisting distressed chapter or disaster relief organization
staff and volunteers; 5) meeting and talking with local community groups
about disaster mental health issues; 6) fielding media interviews about
mental health aspects of the disaster; 7) participating in disaster response
meetings; and other similar activities. Thank you in advance for helping us
to build a stronger network of mental health professionals assisting those
affected by disaster.

Thank you for willingness to help!

We will send e-mails periodically as we have more information.


Sally R. Cameron, Executive Director
NC Psychological Association
1004 Dresser Court, Suite 106
Raleigh, NC 27609
919/872-1005 phone
919/872-0805 fax
919/248-9498 voice mail
http://www.ncpsychology.org

Manijeh, NC 11
Manijeh Boustani, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
NewWay Psychological and Counseling Services
602 Oak Tree Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919-656-3589

- Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:31 am #103 Jason, thank you for starting this discussion strand and for using your life to make a difference! I am touched and inspired by the commitment you and so many others have made to our human family in the New Orleans area.

I work in a middle school in Durham, and our school is undertaking several projects to offer ongoing support to the people in New Orleans and surrounding cities/states. Here are two projects that are well under way:

1) Adopt a School--My principal's wife is from Hattiesburg, Missippi. Our school has adopted a school in that area. We are collecting school supplies--bookbags, notebooks, pens/pencils, journals, highlighters, markers, crayons, construction paper, glue, masking tape, clear tape to send. It will be a while before these folks are back in school, so we will collect these items through Oct. 15.

2) Change for Changes--One of our 7th grade student leaders created this program: We are collecting change through Sept. 16. All money raised will be cashed into dollars and sent to the Red Cross.

There are more projects on the way...I'll keep you posted. If you would like to donate to either of the above projects, please contact me at dawnelle_hyland@dpsnc.net.

Love,
Dawnelle, NC 19, 38, 50, 55, PhD1[/b]

- Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:31 am #104 Jason, thank you for starting this discussion strand and for using your life to make a difference! I am touched and inspired by the commitment you and so many others have made to our human family in the New Orleans area.

I work in a middle school in Durham, and our school is undertaking several projects to offer ongoing support to the people in New Orleans and surrounding cities/states. Here are two projects that are well under way:

1) Adopt a School--My principal's wife is from Hattiesburg, Missippi. Our school has adopted a school in that area. We are collecting school supplies--bookbags, notebooks, pens/pencils, journals, highlighters, markers, crayons, construction paper, glue, masking tape, clear tape to send. It will be a while before these folks are back in school, so we will collect these items through Oct. 15.

2) Change for Changes--One of our 7th grade student leaders created this program: We are collecting change through Sept. 16. All money raised will be cashed into dollars and sent to the Red Cross.

There are more projects on the way...I'll keep you posted. If you would like to donate to either of the above projects, please contact me at dawnelle_hyland@dpsnc.net.

Love,
Dawnelle, NC 19, 38, 50, 55, PhD1[/b]

- Tue Sep 06, 2005 5:37 pm #105 Congratulations on the HUGE difference you and your radio station made, Jason. I wanted to let everyone know that I heard it is easiest to make donations to the Red Cross via the Internet. The money will go directly and securely to the Katrina Relief Fund.

Also, St. Stephen's Episcopla Church in Durham has created a relief fund as well.

Love,

Nan

Nan Clarke