I am sure the news of the devastating destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has spread far and wide to all the members of Unexplained-Mysteries.com by now, and I know alot of you are feeling frustrated and powerless to help.
Rescue teams are working endlessly in the main affected areas to save and aid those desperately in need. And they do need our help.

Please donate to support these teams to save as many lives as possible and help replace the billions of dollars in damage caused in the wake of this incredible Hurricane and be one of the ones who did do something about it. A donation is a small helping hand to give and every penny will go towards those fighting to save lives, and those 200,000 people who are left homeless and have lost everything.

TraJikMaJik suggested the idea of a pinned topic for members to make donations though.
Michelle has kindly looked up all the major rescue teams you can donate to, which I will list here for you to make your donations through. Thank you.

Red Cross America

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Salvation Army

National Volunteer Organisations Active in Disaster

Catholic Charities USA

Most public places such as Grocery Stores also have collections set up for you to donate whatever you can.
Thank you for your help in these times of need.

I shall donate. The poor victims of Hurricane Katrina with no homes, no money and maybe even a lost relative or 2. I think it will take alot of money to help them but I am with Burnside and TraJikMaJik on this one and do what I can to help.

Every little bit helps wrighty.

Yes it does and I just hope everybody hear realises that. Even if we all donated 50p it would go a long way.
Just think of it like this if we were in these peoples shoes we would be dieing for people to donate. Thats just how they are feeling right now.

The amount of damage is overwhelming...

if you're unable to make a monatary donation, don't forget you can donate things like pet food for all the pets that are now homeless too. it helps the victims when they don't have to worry about buying pet food and it helps the organizations that rescue the surviving pets.
doing anything is better than nothing...

^she's right

the ASPCA website has ways to donate to shelters hit by the hurricane.

www.aspca.org

Please help the pets who were abandoned. This is so sad it tears your heart out.

i did the pint for a pint thing.

no not a pint of blood for a pint of beer( however thats not a bad idea....)

but for a pint of icecream. its not such a bad deal....

FEMA does a vey good job with that, too. They helped me keep up with my sister, in the Virgin Islands, during three different hurricanes.

im too young to donate or give blood.

I keep getting a busy signal for the Red Cross donation line.

Johnny, your never too young to raise money for a worthy cause.

Edit: Did you try any of the other organizations, Dis?

Not yet, no. But I'll try and get throught to red cross first.

I went to donate blood today, but there was a line out the door.

Well keep trying.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has issued a "desperate SOS" for thousands of people stranded with no food or water at the city's convention centre.

Up to 25,000 people are at the centre, in addition to tens of thousands more still trapped by the flood waters unleashed by Hurricane Katrina.

It just keeps getting worse.

Just to let you all know, my family and I survived. We left the day before it hit. We heard from a couple of people that stayed, they said the front of my house was okay but the back-end that faces north was tore up from the winds. We had no water damage. Right now I am staying in Texarkana, Arkansas and will be leaving in the morning to work in Shreveport temporarily until my company, Hibernia National Bank, figures out what to do. For those who don't know, Capital One has post-poned the merger between themselves and Hibernia til the 7th. Well I may not respond very soon because I would have to find another computer to get on. I will post pictures of the house and some of the damages of my area as soon as I return. To let ya'll know how close my house was to the storm, just look up Marrero, LA on Yahoo Maps.
I miss reading all the articles on the site and hope to be able to find time real soon to get back on.
Oh, almost forgot, ya'll may want to send a few prayers to all those beautiful luters out there, cause it won't be anything nice if I find any in my home.
Talk to ya'll real soon

Very glad to hear you and your family survived .
Sorry to hear about the damage to your house . I bet it was very scary knowing a hurricane was going to hit around your area.

It was very scary, especially when it was on our ass all the way across the state.
Anyway got to go. Running out of time.
See ya.
wcturnersr

no money live in a hick town on a road where 1 person drives by per day. so that cuts out lemonade stand...

I am going to try to do somthing though, maybe go down to the grocery store and set up a stand for donations.

My friend lives down in Shreveport, Louisiana. She's helping in shelters for the people that don't have homes. I will be donating money. I feel really bad that this happened, and I'll see how much I can do to help.

Make sure you get them to write checks...no cash...and make the checks out to The Red Cross...then mail them all to the Red Cross office nearest you.

I gave $150.00 to the Red Cross. Not bragging...I wish I could have given more.

Don't think small donations don't count. In Dallas you can buy a case of Oasis water 24pk for $3.50 and they don't tax bottled water. I figure I bought a bottle of water for over a thousand folks. Every little bit counts. If you only give $5.00 consider it in the context of you being one of millions who gave $5.00. Give whatever you can.
Please.

At the football game they were selling bracelets that we made last year for the tsunami that say fight the wave for $2. I know a Lot of people bought it, and if they didn't I know people donated.

As long as we all try it doesn't matter how much we give.

A easy way to help is just click the link in my sig. I know we all have $5.00 to spare.

Just think $5.00 from every person participating at this forum!

Well I will deffinetly donate, but Im not sure 12 year old kids can donate there can they?

You can by mail and if your 12 I'd ask your parents to fill it out over the net with their credit card. I'd ask parents permission for even sending in the mail also.

I shall look for collection boxes in shops as ling as I can help.

Being a packrat sometimes comes in handy. I've cleaned out closets of shoes, clothes, crayons, toys, kitchen supplies, (for the people setting up housekeeping in town), and everything else I can think of.

Did anyone happen to see Larry King last night? Irvin Mayfield, a jazz musician, said he is setting up a program to get musical instruments to the street preformers but, I didn't have time to write down the contact information. No, problem, right? Just look on the website. There is no mention of it there at all. Not even in the transcript.

I have a saxaphone sitting in the attic collecting dust and would like someone to put it to good use. I can think of no better time to put a little music back into someone's life.

This is very sad it really honest to God made my eyes watery.

I was watching CNN about the Hurricane.


Reporter- How are you sir?

Victim- Not Good Not Good

It just crumbled my house split it in half.

Reporter- In half?

Victim- Yes Yes we were in the house and the water just came down and destroyed everything.

Reporter- Who were you with in your house?

Victim- Me my son I have with me and my wife.

Reporter- Where is your wife?

Vicim- Gone Gone she Gone can't find her body!!!

Reporter- Shes Gone

Victim- yes yes I held on, but I couldn't hold her! She knew she told me take care of the kids I love you. I lost everything I lost it all.....


Thankfull he still had his son with him.

I know 2pac; I saw the same footage..just so sad. But did you hear what Chertoff said? He heads The Homeland Security office. He said that America needs to prepare themselves for the dewatering of the city. It is going to be a very, very ugly scene...worse than you could ever imagine.
Take care bro,
joc

Its one of the the most saddest thing iv'e seen, and what makes it worse is that your not safe either, people are getting killed, and women and children are being raped, i mean what the hell is going on, i just hope with extra soldiers they sort it, because that kind of stuff going on is just crazy, i think the people have sufferd enough, my heart goes out to them all.

i see a documentary because i live in france the first they USA the 1 first power nation has been devasted by a huge hurrican, like i said very nation can't do nothing against nature, however there something really because every people has in danger and in miserye i see baby crying and the nation do nothing except put the army for stopping thieves that too bad really.

We can see people are living for themself like buying gun, shotgun for protecting themself from thieves now it's more like a "rebellion" i don't know which word to use.

they don't help each other, balck, white we are all the same isn't it .

Because everyone have losing all and they must help each other, i know i doesn't living it but that i will do if i was them.

The N.O. tragedy is NO WORSE than alot of tragedies that go on around the world. In fact for some reason N.O. is getting all the atention when there are equally tragic victims in the state of LA.

Natural disasters are very sad, but have been happening since the begining of the world, and will contiue to happen because thats just how Nature is.

Now what i find reallys ad, is that while all this was happening over ther, there were criminals that actually thought the best thing to do is to go around, rapping children, stealing from their neighboors homes, trying to steal boats form doctors and nurses transporting patients and shooting at rescuers. Its because of these criminals, help couldnt come sooner. Why send help to be killed ?

There is no WORSE tragedy than the ARM the "human beeing" causes to its equals.

I was watching a show last week about a terrible situation going on in Africa were they asked a boy what had happened in the village and he said " the rebels came, took all the girls than gathered the teachers from the school, killed, chopped into pieces and cooked them. Than they gave them to us to eat, and the children that wouldnt eat their teachers got shot in the head"..." he than continued, " they got my mother and told me and my brothers to kill her ...and if we didnt kill our mother they would kill us... so we killed her."

Like I said, its a sad sad situation, but its no worse than many around the world.

Short of the sunami...yes it is!

Okay, since this is a how can you help the people thread, I'm going to get it back on track.

Volunteers are coming out of the woodwork here. So many, that they are being turned away...which is a great relief.

The drop off stations for the people that are relocating are stuffed beyond capacity, with inventory spilling over into the parking lots. The police departments drive for dog crates, food, water, etc,...brought in to rescue lost pets in Mississippi was overwhelming. Those items will be shipped in the morning after spending all night tonight being shrink wrapped.

The housing authority has been sending vans, to anyones house that wants to donate furniture. They've picked up refrigerators, TVs, beds, washers, dryers....

People are showing up just to give them their phone numbers and tell them if they need anything to call.

THAT is what it's all about!!!

Thats right !!

I don't know if somebody has already said this but I heard they are also collecting diapers for all the mothers that have children and stuff and i am goin to volunteer at a shelter because many of the victims have evacuated to my area and it's so devastating but i hate to say it but I think we could have prepared a little bit more for this
-Thank You

If anyone is interested, Larry King's website e-mailed me with the contact information for donating no longer used musical instruments. I've gotten no responce from them, but who knows, the building may be gone.

Anyway, it's the New Orleans Jazz Organization...

The NOJO
P.O. Box 82385
Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2385

www.thenojo.com

Remember, please, this is not going away for months, so don't forget...

Yes, I'm bumping this back to the first page...

I keep hearing all the bellyaching about what should've, could've, would've happened if this or that. I've seen the huge response from my city coming to the rescue of the displaced people from all over the gulf. But sadly, most of what I've seen on UM are arm chair generals that aren't doing a damn thing but complaining about how everyone else is handling this situation.

If anybody is doing ANYTHING to contribute, PLEASE, restore my faith in the rest of the world and tell me about it!!!

edit:And, I don't mean your governments, I mean your personal contributions.

Well Michelle, I just went to a campaign fundraiser kick off for the Hurricane relief, by the Red Cross. They are getting businesses to help raise money all over the downtown core.

The kick off was at a restaurant called 'Fat Tuesday's' and they are having a Mardi Gras campaign where they are selling beeds for $1 that go to the fund.

My friend came with me tonight, and is looking at throwing a big event with a whole bunch of kids from the school she works at, among other schools to help raise money. She talked to a staff member at the Red Cross, and this person told her that she could even get the media involved.

People are being generous and contribute when they can, but most of them (like myself) do it quietly.

My daughter finially got elec today, and so many has been thru hell..I lost half my home but can rebuild..I am doing some volunteer work as we speak, for the Red Cross..Im just grateful for what I do have left,and nothing can replace the lifes tooken. It will be a long battle ahead, sorry I havent been here for a while, had to go to Mississippi to help my daughter. I hope all familys on UM will be safe, as well as those who arent UM members..
A battle to overcome, and it will be a long recovery..
Stay safe all!! and..My heart goes out to all as well..

I will be able to send some money at the end of the month. Better yet, my birthday is coming up; all be well and right with the world, I will see if I can send the amount connected to my age. If not, I will send half. I am on disability benefit for my condition, but I am also a survivor of a natural disaster and I would like to see what little I have go to the children of Katrina.

Not only that, I have a daughter, who lives in the US and I know how I would feel if I found she was a victim of Katrina. So, in effect, it would be for the fact that I am fortunate that my daughter is alive and well and pray that it helps reunite families and helps the dear little children and the other children,as well, who are alone.

I have been working the last three days in a church who is not only taking massive amounts of donations to the gulf states but are also opening a shelter for evacuees.

This isn't my church but we saw on the news that they needed volunteers so me and my mother went.

She has worked in the office (recovering from shoulder surgery) for the last three days. She has been answering phones that have been ringing off the hook.

I have been working in the warehouse separating food, clothes, and personal items into boxes, taping them, labeling them, and re stacking them to go into a truck.

It has been HARD back breaking work but, like so many other people, I have felt the need to DO something other than just donate money. We had already sent food and supplies through my son's school.

But it makes us feel so much better to be helping out. To do something.

I will probably go back Monday if not over the weekend. They are shutting down for tomorrow until we find out what OUR hurricane is going to do.

This is what we have been told. Please don't donate any more clothes. No one can afford to ship it and they already have more than they can use. (This is what we have been told....by whom I have no idea. But every place in town has quit taking clothes donations except baby clothes.)

If you donate canned foods.....PLEASE....throw in a few can openers. Just pick some up at the dollar store. How horrible is it to think of homeless, hungry people with tons of canned food and no way to get them open?! They have told everyone who called us to please bring can openers if possible.

Please don't send in the stuff you have had sitting around for years and cant bear to throw away yourself. It just makes more work for someone else who DOES have to throw it away.

I had to sift through things yesterday like flour with bugs, cooking supplies that expired 15 years ago, and well....cooking supplies!! Who is cooking?? Chandelier cleaner?? Silver polish?? Canning supplies??!! Come on! LOL!

don't forget the animals. Pet food, liter boxes, liter, leashes are all needed.

Diapers of all sizes, wipes, formula, baby food.

Over the counter meds. Tylenol, first aid kits, neosporin, ect.

Someone sent in diabetic supplies (over the counter) which I thought was really great! No needles.

Please don't send things that needs water or heat as not everyone has that. Water is at a premium. Please don't send powdered milk, instant teas, dry soup, beans, coffee. I had a whole box of jello, instant pudding, and COOK and eat pudding yesterday.

No fresh bread unless you live REALLY close to where it is going. We sent what was given to us to our kitchen where it will be used for the evacuees who are already there. We are expecting up to 150 by next week. I live in north east Florida. That is a long way for them to go. We have already supplied about 20 people with food and clothes in the last two days who happened to find us. Most of them were from Mississippi.

Don't forget things like deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shaving supplies, feminine products, school supplies.

Some places are taking toys.

Just think about what you would want or need. Please don't consider this a chance to clean out your cupboards. I don't mean that giving of what you have is a bad thing. But just please make sure that it isn't expired, opened, or have bugs in it. That could ruin a whole, hugh box of food if not more.

Pop top cans are wonderful!

Never consider anything you can do to little. A girl came in yesterday morning. She was in tears as she told us that she had no idea until the day before how bad things actually were out there. I guess she hadn't been watching tv. But she finally saw the aftermath on Oprah. She told us she has a friend out there who moved there last year. She cant find her right now. She didn't have anything but one dollar and some change but she gave everything she had. That is giving your all. Not giving a lot...but giving all you can.

I don't have a lot of money but I will donate. But I felt since the day after this happened that I had to DO something. It was all I could do not to get in my car and race out there. I was so excited when my mom told me about this church. It is a hugh undertaking and there hasn't always been enough help but we are working hard to make it happen.

What can i do to help? Absolutly nohting!

Thats not the way to look at it at all. Everyone can do something.

They were selling lollipops at my school for 50 cents each so i bought 50 lol

the money went to katrina of course, or this post would be really random

Thats great JBC. Every little helps.

Thats so sweet helping the children and very generous..just breaks my heart what they go thru..I do think it will effect them in someway..losing it all can mess a child up..maybe years after as well..
I have done all I can with help and cash..and my son helped with the Red Cross..I pray for all those in need at such a tragic time..Im just grateful my daughter is alive and safe..material items can be replaced, her life cant..I wanna say more but the words wont quite come out right..But any Mom would know what Im trying to say..and all those that have helped no matter how big or small,I know its so appreciated..Helping others always comes back around..

i feel bad, my grandpa went to new orleans 3 months ago and he has a friend he called yesterday says he got a free house in georgia but its completly empty he has no money or anything now.