How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid

Subject: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 10:48 PM

I participate in another forum that is for illustrators, many of whom are New Yorkers. The site provided this information that helps you give aid to the Red Cross online. This information may be in another thread here at Mudcat, but I thought a new thread title may help communicate the connection.

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From theispot forum:
People in the New York area have been urged by the Red Cross to donate flashlights and packages of socks for the WTC relief workers, in addition to blood for the victims. They also need monetary donations, which go to the National Disaster Relief Fund, and it is possible to do this on-line, most anywhere in the world, in a matter of minutes:

http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-wtc/

Select the amount you would like to give, and proceed to checkout. It's as easy as buying books on Amazon, and so much more rewarding.

The United Way of NYC has established a September 11th Fund, and it is also accepting on-line donations at their website. You may select exactly where you would like the funds directed, New York or Washington. All donations will go directly to support services for the victims and their families. All administrative costs will be born by the United Way and the New York Community Trust.

https://www.uwnyc.com/epledge/sept11.cfm

If either of these sites seem a bit slow, be patient: it's for the very best reason. They are getting a lot of traffic. Thank God for the Internet that lets us send what support we can so immediately.

Jami G.
Vice President
Theispot-Showcase
The Illustration Internet Site
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Alice Flynn

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 10:52 PM

thanks for posting that.

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: sophocleese
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 10:54 PM

Thanks Alice for letting us know. Its difficult to want to help but not know how to help. Any information along those lines is useful.

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Mudlark
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 11:46 PM

Thanks Alice, for this timely and helpful information. It's good to have something to do, out here on the west coast. Have sent in contribution, plus am sending these addresses to everyone I know.

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 01:20 AM

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 01:44 AM

You can also make a direct donation online at www.redcross.org, by sending it to your local chapter, or by calling 1-800-HELP NOW.

You can designate that your donation will be spent only on this disaster by saying so if you phone, or by writing "US Terrorist Attack Relief" in your check memo line. However, an unrestricted donation gives the agency the most flexibility and cuts down on the cost of processing the donation, in the long run.

Please DO NOT donate actual items, including clothing, without first checking with your local chapter to see if they are set up to receive. In most cases, it costs more to ship donated goods than the prices Red Cross has been able to negotiate with corporate partners, who often contract with local suppliers right in the trouble area. This not only puts supplies where needed most quickly, but also puts the dollars where the economy needs to recover-- right in the community affected.

Red Cross Disaster Services training is interesting, well-presented, usually video based in small classes, and can help you be prepared personally as well as for the sake of your community. This is the time to think about taking that training for the next time there is a need. Your training will be applied locally.

You also can be put on call for things like this and other disasters, through the nationwide database of volunteers. These are the specialized Red Cross volunteers who are being sent now to the trouble spots. Assignments of that sort are no more than three weeks-- Red Cross pioneered crisis counseling for not only "clients" but also for its volunteers. No one can take more than three weeks of this kind of work.

Another thing you can do (when chapters get back to "normal business") is volunteer to help informally by making music whenever shelters are opened. Shelters are stressful in themselves in addition to being islands where the stress of the disaster is often first felt by the victims. Ask your local chapter about taking the home-video course "Introduction to Disaster Services" so you can be certified to go to shelters when called upon in your community.

I managed a small Red Cross chapter for three years. What most impressed me about Red Crossers was that these are smart, funny, reality-minded people who know how to DO things. It's a good organization to grow your own skills in as well, and to make contacts of all sorts in your community. I can answer just about any question you can think of, personally or by knowing where to get specific information for you.

And doubters please note-- the Red Cross has long had the best record on how much of the donated money goes to actual services. Look that up in their annual reports if you don't have that information. It's solid.

~Susan

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 01:53 AM

Oh DUH. Another way we can help NOW is to organize a benefit concert for funds for relief. Ask the local unit of your relief agency if you may use their name in publicity. You will not only gather needed funds, you will have brought people together for something that will help them deal with this.

~S~

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 05:44 AM

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 09:33 AM

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 15 Sep 01 - 10:51 AM

For information on how to help the school children and teachers of New York City, here is the newsletter of Teachers in NYC.http://www.nysut.org/index.html New York State United Teachers

Subject: RE: How You Can Help Right Now, Online Aid
From: Alice
Date: 16 Sep 01 - 11:25 AM