AS HURRICANE KATRINA ROCKS GULF, CATHOLIC CHARITIES PREPARES FOR MASSIVE RELIEF EFFORT

EWTNews.com ^ | 08-29-05 | EWTN

[Salvation]

AS HURRICANE KATRINA ROCKS GULF, CATHOLIC CHARITIES PREPARES FOR MASSIVE RELIEF EFFORT New Orleans, Aug. 29, 2005 (CNA) - As Hurricane Katrina makes landfall, and as New Orleans and the U.S. gulf coast brace for what some meteorologists have called a “worst case scenario”, Catholic Charities USA has already begun collecting donations for the massive relief efforts which are sure to follow. Spokesperson Shelly Borysiewicz, reported that the group is “collecting financial donations to help communities recover from the damage brought on by Hurricane Katrina. Donations will be used to fund local Catholic Charities agencies’ emergency and long-term disaster recovery efforts in areas hit by the hurricane.” Some reports suggest that damages could reach the 20 billion dollar mark. The Archdiocese of New Orleans has evacuated their administrative offices on accordance with a mandatory order for all of metropolitan New Orleans--it will remain closed throughout the day.

[tiki]

I know exactly what you mean. I wish I could go and help or as you say, open my home. I have a camp trailer that people could use in addition to 2 unused bedrooms in my house but I'm too far away. A little bit of money will have to suffice.

[kstewskis]

I heard Raymond Arroyo not too long ago on Hannity and Colmes, evidently his house was destroyed...he, his wife and their 12 day old baby made it out safely.

[freeangel]

I'm sure CAIR will be the first to stand up to your challenge:)

[Salvation]

National (Catholic) Collection for Hurricane Relief Announced

[diamond6]

bttt

[cherry]

I gave to the Red Cross too....seems they are right in the area and the people need food, water, ice and shelter immediately....

otherwise, I don't care for the Red Cross.....I hope they change my mind.....

[angkor]

Don't confuse the AMERICAN Red Cross with the INTERNATIONAL Red Cross

Sorry, I distinctly remember the shennagins of the AMERICAN Red Cross after 9/11.

Piling-up several hundred million $$$ in the bank accounts for "future projects", and disbursing lots of money to questionable advocacy groups.

It was not the IRC.

[Flightdeck]

Aren't the countries who have benefited from millions of American aid dollars going to show their own generosity?

[Salvation]

Come on, everyone. Let's help the people in the affected areas.

Thanks, everyone.

[Salvation]

Astonishing Exclusive From Mississippi BREAKING NEWS

[Salvation]

Charities and U.S. Military Are Mobilizing

[Salvation]

Charities gear up for hurricane recovery as damage assessment begins [Catholic News Service

KATRINA-RECOVERY Aug-30-2005 (970 words) With photos. xxxn

Charities gear up for hurricane recovery as damage assessment begins

By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic Charities was just one of several national organizations gearing up to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into the Gulf Coast east of New Orleans Aug. 29 and left dozens dead in its wake.

Insurance firms were expecting claims stemming from Katrina to be the largest single-event payout since the 2001 terror attacks.

Catholic Charities said through its Web site that it would work through its affiliates in the archdioceses of Miami, New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., and the dioceses of Baton Rouge and Houma-Thibodaux, La., and Biloxi and Jackson, Miss., where the hurricane did its greatest damage.

Relief work had already begun in Dade County, Fla., which includes Miami. Katrina, then just a tropical storm, skirted the area but left behind heavy rains and flooding.

"Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami has already distributed a large load of baby items, food and other supplies to victims. Other aid that they will be providing includes assistance with food, shelter, rent, medicine, utilities and mental health counseling," said a statement from Catholic Charities USA, based in Alexandria, Va.

For now, only monetary donations were being accepted. "Catholic Charities USA is unable to accept contributions of food, clothing, blankets and other relief supplies," it said.

"People are going to be without homes or places to put stuff," said Maj. Dalton Cunningham, who is coordinating relief efforts for the Salvation Army in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Catholic Charities was accepting contributions for Hurricane Katrina relief by phone at: (800) 919-9338; by mail at: Catholic Charities USA, Hurricane Katrina, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788; or online at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

"Based on past disasters, possible long-term services that Catholic Charities may provide include temporary and permanent housing, direct assistance beyond food and water to get people back into their homes, job-placement counseling, and medical and prescription drug assistance," Catholic Charities said.

The death toll from Katrina was placed early Aug. 30 at 55, most of them in Mississippi. But the toll was expected to rise as devastated areas became more accessible to police, rescue crews and National Guard units.

"In New Orleans, it's pretty grim," Deacon Gerald Collins, Catholic Charities USA's director of disaster response, told Catholic News Service in a midday telephone interview Aug. 30. "The water levels are still rising," due principally to a levee breaking. Deacon Collins said the city may need to be evacuated, and that electricity might not be restored to the Crescent City for two months.

While Catholic Charities relief teams hoped to arrive in some of the hurricane-stricken areas three or four days after the hurricane to make initial contact, "if they actually evacuate New Orleans, that's going to be a whole 'nother ball of wax," Deacon Collins said. "Where are they going to go?"

He added that Catholic Charities relief efforts for the New Orleans Archdiocese would likely be based in Baton Rouge, at least initially. "We did something similar during the four storms that hit Florida last year," Deacon Collins said.

CNN and The Sun Herald, a daily newspaper serving South Mississippi, reported that St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Long Beach, Miss., in the Biloxi Diocese, was destroyed in the hurricane. The parish was founded in 1903.

Spring Hill College, a Jesuit school in Mobile, sustained moderate damage in the hurricane -- as opposed to light damage suffered from last year's Hurricane Ivan. The electricity was still out, but they expected to have it back on before the end of the Labor Day weekend. In fact, students were told to forgo the Labor Day holiday as classes were to begin Labor Day morning.

Larry Wahl, editor of The Catholic Week, Mobile archdiocesan newspaper, spent the night of Aug. 29 at a motel seven miles north of Mobile.

He reported that Bayou La Batra, southwest of Mobile, which has been a staple of the fishing industry, was heavily damaged by Katrina. "The shipping industry has taken a huge, huge hit," Wahl said. "I guess it's eventually going to recover, but it's going to take a long, long time."

He added that some areas of the Mobile Archdiocese "have not been in touch with our property person to let them know what the extent of the damage is. It will probably be (Aug. 31) before we get some primary sense of what the damage is," he added.

Wahl also has relatives in Biloxi, and was told that one cousin in Biloxi got out of his house just before it collapsed.

While there is universal agreement that the hurricane's impact could have been much worse, damage was considerable.

The greatest fear was that Katrina would make a direct hit on New Orleans -- most of which is below sea level -- as a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest possible. However, by 5 a.m. Aug. 29, before it reached the Louisiana coast, it had been downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane. By 11 a.m. that day, as the eye of the storm was roughly midway between New Orleans and Biloxi, it had been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane. By 5 p.m., as its hurricane-force winds were beginning to lash the southeast part of the Jackson metropolitan area, it had been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.

By Aug. 30, Katrina had been reclassified as a tropical storm, but was still expected to dump heavy rains as it moved swiftly northeastward.

- - -

[Salvation]

USCCB president calls for national collection for hurricane relief {Catholic News Service]

KATRINA-COLLECTION Aug-30-2005 (340 words) xxxn

USCCB president calls for national collection for hurricane relief

By Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has called on all 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States to participate in a national collection for hurricane relief, with donations going to Catholic Charities USA.

Bishop Skylstad, who heads the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., said officials of the USCCB had not been able to reach most of the bishops in the affected area as of Aug. 30, because of problems with power and communications systems. But he said a request for a national collection had been received.

"Millions of people are in need of assistance and Catholic Charities will be among the primary responders," he said in an Aug. 30 message to his fellow bishops. "Catholic Charities USA, working with the local diocesan Catholic Charities, has a professional and well-developed system of reviewing the needs and providing help where it can accomplish the most good."

Bishop Skylstad said Hurricane Katrina had caused devastation and destruction "in many dioceses," but that Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hardest-hit. "As the storm proceeds north through Tennessee and Kentucky even more people will be affected," he added.

"The media coverage has made it abundantly clear that the needs will be great, and long-lasting," the bishop said. "At this time there is the possibility of more hurricanes coming in the next several weeks. I therefore ask you to please consider taking up a collection in your diocese for the relief of the victims of the hurricanes of this season."

Bishop Skylstad said each diocese's "collections or gifts should be sent as soon as possible" to Catholic Charities USA, based in Alexandria, Va.

"In your name I offer our fraternal support to our brother bishops at this tragic time," he added. "I urge you to invite your priests and people to remember in prayer our neighbors who have lost and suffered so much."

- - -

Editors: Contributions may be sent directly to: 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund, Catholic Charities USA, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788.

END

[Salvation]

Hope this is correct;
redcross.org

[Salvation]

St. Gabriel’s Angel Food Ministry supporting Katrina Victims

[Salvation]

http://www.redcross.org/

[IrishRainy]

OMG, we're sharing a brain! That was MY decision too. Plus the Salvation Army is right there at this time helping the victims NOW, while Catholic Charities' mission seems to be helping the victims a little later on, like in a month or so.

When the media pulls out in a few weeks, it's not like everyone's lives will suddenly be back to normal. They'll still need help and can then turn to organizations like Catholic Charities.

[Salvation]

Churches rally to aid refugees (Archbishop escapes with 2 sets of clothes)

[Salvation]

Catholic Church Provides Food, Facilities, Medical Services For Gulf Coast People Displaced By Katrina

[Salvation]

After 9/11, the Knights gave more than $1 million to families of victims, especially first responders.

So, if you really want to make sure that every penny you send gets to help the victims of the hurricane, you can send your donations to:

U.S. Donors:

Knights of Columbus
Charities USA, Inc.
Gift Processing Center
PO Box 9028
Pittsfield, MA 01202-9028
Attention: Hurricane KATRINA Relief


Canadian Donors:

Knights of Columbus
Canada Charities Inc.
Gift Processing Center
PO Box 7252 Station A
Toronto, ON M5W 1X9
Attention: Hurricane KATRINA Relief