Aid in Austin
By Karl-Thomas Musselman
If you are looking to help in the Houston area, Charles has the latest requests and roundups. Here in Austin, things seem to be filling up with whispers of opening up the Frank Erwin Center at some point if President Faulkner goes for it. I was going to volunteer last night down at the Convention Center but so many people had already offered that by midnight they were turning away most people for the evening. They were busy sorting loads of clothes into piles by size, water, food, diapers, cots. It looked like most of the floor and ballrooms throughout the center were being occupied already.
Remember to help here in Austin and to call 974-1110, the city hotline, before venturing out somewhere. If they can't use your help this weekend, be patient and help in upcoming days and weeks.
I just called the hotline and as of now they have enough volunteers for the afternoon, but they asked people to go to this site and find specific actions they best match up with for now.
One Action Item:
The shelters located at the Austin Convention Center and the Palmer Events Center urgently need wheelchairs. Anyone with wheelchairs to donate should bring the chairs to the Convention Cneter loading dock on Red River St. (East side of the Convention Center) or to the receiving area at the Palmer Events Center as soon as possible. No other donations are accepted at shelter sites.
Posted by Karl-Thomas Musselman at September 4, 2005 01:06 PM
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Barbara Radnofsky's website has an ongoing series of blogs about Houston volunteer efforts. Here's one and you can find others there too:
http://www.radnofsky.com/blog.php?items_id=98
Sorry for the crudeness of the link. Haven't mastered hyperlink text yet.
obesrvation from very far away:
texas looks like the meeca of humanitarianism. all international, national and cable news descibe texas' considerable and singular contribution to housing victims.
good for us!!!
Practical thought from an elderly Depression survivor: use your county fairgrounds and put up some small Tent Towns in each of them for the somewhat longer haul you have. Fairgrounds already have sanitary facilities, roads, water,phones, kitchens. Build community, restore dignity, help them keep it together until they get back home. And local churches and civic groups can volunteer food and clothes in fairgrounds close to home. Preventive health care can be provided, any disease can be taken care of before it spreads. Federal and state social services more effectively provided to smaller groups. Katrina refuges need more than a roof and a cot, real soon - think about it.
