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Cash Sought To Help Hurricane Victims, Volunteers Should Not Self-Dispatch Release Date: August 29, 2005 Additional Hurricane Katrina Resources WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Voluntary organizations are seeking cash donations to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, according to Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. But, volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency. “Cash donations are especially helpful to victims,” Brown said. “They allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs. Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Donated money prevents, too, the prohibitive cost of air or sea transportation that donated goods require.” “We’re grateful for the outpouring of support already,” Brown said. “But it’s important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm’s way and hamper rescue efforts.” Here is a list of phone numbers set up solely for cash donations and/or volunteers. Donate cash to: American Red Cross America’s Second Harvest Humane Society of the United States Operation Blessing United Jewish Communities Donate Cash and/or Volunteer Adventist Community Services B'nai B'rith International Catholic Charities, USA Christian Disaster Response Christian Reformed World Relief Committee Church World Service Convoy of Hope Corporation for National and Community Service Disaster Relief Fund Disaster Psychiatry Outreach Feed the Children Lutheran Disaster Response Mennonite Disaster Service Nazarene Disaster Response Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Salvation Army Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief UJA Federation of New York United Methodist Committee on Relief Please check with your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding the tax deductibility of your donation. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. Last Updated: Friday, 02-Sep-2005 16:55:52 |