Houston and/or Texas-specific Katrina resources

[Isil Darkmoon]

This is easier.

katrina-houston.com (http://www.katrina-houston.com)

There seems to be a real lack of information about volunteering and donating in the Houston area, and posting bits and pieces on messageboards still isn't getting the word out. So since I can't be there to help, hands-on, myself, I picked up the URL and am compiling the information on a central site at an easy address.

Please pass this on to people looking to volunteer, and please email me about opportunities I'm not yet aware of.

[RowanMegaera]

Thank you very much, I've passed these along to the other navy wives and I'm going to have a fit if we some of us don't get our crap together and help out.

I've been working my backside off since Monday morning collecting supplies and coordinating deliveries.

[BlueMoon13]

I may be displaced right now, stuck among Indiana's fields of corn, but I cannot say right now how damn PROUD I am to be a Texan, and a Houstonian, right now.
Here,here!! :cheers: Thanks for the links!

[HeavensHope]

That's awesome what everyone's doing. Man, Rice is a really hard school to get into not to mention kind of expensive...so that's really nice of them.

[Isil Darkmoon]

Email I got from St. Lukes, the church I grew up in. Even though it's no longer my path, I really, really respect those folks and they do a lot of good. They're apparently working directly with the red cross and the astrodome crew, and are calling out for volunteers, whether they're church members or not.


Dear St. Luke's Family:

Volunteers are still needed and will continue to be needed to staff the Shelter at the Astrodome. This is an unprecedented attempt that is being made to care for persons who were not able to leave New Orleans because of age, physical condition, transportation, or economic means before the flooding--their recovery is magnified by being 350 miles from home with no real timetable for their return home, if that even becomes an option.

The American Red Cross is coordinating the Astrodome Shelter. We are supporting the Red Cross by inviting St. Luke's members and other faith communities to give time in support of our dislocated neighbors.

Anytime your schedule permits, please go to the Astrodome using the McNee entrance. Identify yourself as a St. Luke's volunteer and follow the parking attendants' direction to the Volunteer Parking Lot. The volunteer entrance to the Astrodome is near the parking. Please go to the Volunteer station, identify yourself as a St. Luke's volunteer, get a nametag, and ask for an assignment.

Volunteers are especially needed after work and through the night. The Red Cross has especially asked our help in those time periods.

Wheelchairs are also in short supply at the Astrodome. If you have a wheel chair you would be willing to donate for use at the shelter, please bring your chair to St. Luke's and we will see that it is put to good use.

On Sunday, September 4, we are inviting those persons who are in hotels near St. Luke's to join us for worship at 11 a.m. and to be our guests for lunch following the service in the Activities Center. If you would like to help serve the meal to our guests, or to be a meeter/greeter, please contact Melissa Hinton at 713-402-5123 or by reply to this email. The Salvation Army is helping to coordinate a worship experience at the Astrodome.

Looking a little further out, on September 17, St. Luke's has been asked to prepare and serve all three meals at the Astrodome Shelter. Training is required for all volunteers who prepare the meals in the Astrodome and more information about the training times and locations will be given to you next week. We are a part of an Interfaith Coalition that will be providing the meals at the Astrodome the remainder of this month and into October. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has asked all the churches of the Conference to help raise $1,000,000 to help defray the cost of meals at the Astrodome. Contributions for this effort and for Katrina Relief can be made to St. Luke's and marked "Katrina relief."

Your response in time, talent, treasure, empathy and compassion has been remarkable. This will be a long journey and we feel so fortunate to be traveling this most challenging road with each of you.

Jim Moore

[Isil Darkmoon]

Texas A&M's offer to take in up to 1000 students, with financial assistance for tuition and room/board, on all of their caompuses.


TO: All Faculty, Students and Staff
SUBJECT: Assistance to Hurricane Katrina Victims

We are announcing today (see statement below) that Texas A&M, including the Galveston campus, will accept up to 1,000 students for as long as one year from universities and colleges unable to offer classes this fall due to Hurricane Katrina. This is a significantly higher number of students than any other university has offered to take in (as far as we are aware), but entirely in keeping with our culture, our traditions and our Spirit. We also have offered to provide – to the extent we can -- a temporary home for faculty to continue their research while their own campuses are unavailable. We are, again as far as we know, the only university to extend the offer of assistance to all colleges and universities affected by the tragedy. The statement includes a number of other actions we have taken and are taking. I am confident that other initiatives, likely thought up by students, faculty and/or staff, will be forthcoming. I know that the Aggie family will respond with warmth, sympathy and support to those displaced by this disaster. A significant number of students from the affected states would clearly have an impact on class sizes and more, but I am confident that faculty and students will make the best of the situation in order to help our neighbors. Also, I request that all faculty and staff be especially sensitive to the feelings and emotional state of students who are directly affected by this tragedy—certainly including those who have lost family members or else do not know the fate of some of them, in addition to having significant property losses in some cases. Significant help to friends and neighbors in trouble is what Aggies do best.

Robert M. Gates

Statement by Robert M. Gates, President of Texas A&M University
The hearts of the entire Texas A&M University community go out to all victims of Hurricane Katrina. Service to others is a core value of this University, and we feel a special obligation to do all we can to help college students and faculty in the affected area continue uninterrupted with their education and their work. I have formed a special university task force, which will continuously update our ability to assist in this very difficult period. Our current activities are summarized below.

ACADEMICS

* Texas A&M will welcome up to 1,000 students for as long as one year from all four-year colleges and universities unable to offer classes this fall because of the hurricane, including schools such as Tulane, Dillard, Southern, Xavier, Loyola and the University of New Orleans. These students will be charged the minimum tuition allowed by state law.
* Students from impacted universities who are interested in attending Texas A&M this fall should contact Ms. Mary Jane Baldwin in the Office of Admissions and Records at (979) 845-1064 or by e-mail at maryjane@tamu.edu .
* Texas A&M will make available for students from impacted schools approximately 140 campus housing assignments and provide assistance in arranging off-campus housing as needed.
* Texas A&M will make available classroom and laboratory space after hours to institutions that want temporarily to re-locate their programs here. We also are prepared, with available facilities, to host faculty from these universities wishing to continue their research for the next few months.

FINANCIAL AID

* Texas A&M has set aside $200,000 to provide students resources for immediate needs while arrangements are being made for longer-term financial assistance.
* We also will provide assistance to Texas A&M students whose homes are in the ravaged areas and whose families have been forced to migrate to the local area and are now in need of housing and other daily necessities.
* Student Body President Jim Carlson is urging Texas A&M faculty, staff and students and other members of the local community to donate canned goods and clothing during the Memorial Student Center (MSC) Open House MSC on Sunday, September 4 from 1-6 p.m. Additional student-led activities will be announced subsequently.

OUTREACH

* We will open a resource center to Hurricane Katrina evacuees for a variety of needed services, including Internet access as a means for contacting family members and friends who remain in the disaster area or who may have evacuated elsewhere.
* The Association of Former Students will provide a toll-free call center for providing information about university resources. The toll-free number is (888) 440-7345.
* University police are assisting in providing security for evacuees at designated shelters in the community.
* The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is sheltering animals displaced by the hurricane and subsequent flooding.
* We can all take pride in the work of one of our sister agencies based here on campus. Texas Task Force One, operated by the Texas Engineering Extension Service, has 126 personnel providing search and rescue service in Louisiana.

[Airin]

all the school districs in the dallas/ftworth area are taking in ANY students who come from the New Orleans area (that goes for any where thats been damaged by Katrina), regardless of paper work or anything. So if you know someone who is still in need of schooling from the area and they're in texas, send 'em to Dallas, we're taking anyone and everyone to help.

[la tortuga]

I live in San Antonio, Texas and we're going to be getting evacuated children put into our school district. I'm trying to convince my mother to let me volunteer this weekend, but she's afraid I may contract a bacterial infection of some sort...

[Isil Darkmoon]

See first post--things are much revised.

I've centralised and compiled all the data I can find to katrina-houston.com

Please use this and pass it on where it would be useful.

[HeavensHope]

I wonder if anyones thought about using ships to move these people else where. I mean they are after all on the coast. Then again I'm not sure how deep of a water you need a ship to be on, of course I know for a fact the USS Lexington is dock on the beach of Corpus christi and serves as a museum type thing now. Although I'm sure it's fully functional. Think about how many people you can move all at once, you can fit so many people, not to mention food, medicine, etc. If they could why not use a ship? Pack the ship up with medical help, along with medicine,food, water, and clothing for people that are going to be ship and enough for people who cant be ship out yet. The people who are being shipped out can be taken cared of while they're being transported, food, bath, medical attention. Then while they're unloading people restock the ship and do it all over again. I'm sure some of these cruise lines can afford to lend one of thier cruise ships.

[Muttnboofer]

I'm in Huntsville, about an hour or 2 north of Houston. I know that Sam Houston State has started accepting all students from any of the affected areas. From what they said on the website it may be statewide. The Governor requested that all colleges accept students from the states where Katrina hit as if they were "transient students", meaning that they will generally not have to pay any enrollment fees. Most colleges are also extending the registration deadlines to accomodate those students coming in now.

School age students in the Houston and surrounding areas are also being given extra time to sign up for school and are being treated as "transient students". In many cases they will not have to have the paperwork showing shot records and such since much of that paperwork has likely been lost.

I can actually send a LONG list of organizations that are set up in Houston and the surrounding areas to anyone that wants it. The pagan organizations that I know of at the moment are the Goddess Moon Circles Helping and Warming Program http://www.goddessmoon.org (http://www.goddessmoon.org) or http://www.geocities.com/Muttnboofer (http://www.geocities.com/Muttnboofer) . I'm the contact for the chapter in the East side of Texas, so anyone wanting to contact them can also contact me. We are collecting toys and blankets as well as personal hygiene items for those who need it right now. The shelters are having to wade through the clothes that have been donated so are in more need of helping hands than clothes at the moment. I've been told that this does not mean that people should not send them however.

Goddess Moon Circles is also looking for anyone wanting to help organize a chapter and relief efforts for the chapter in the areas hit by the hurricane.

Another organization to go to is Avalon. It is a pagan association for police officers/firefighters and thier families. They have teamed up with PAN, the Pagan Association of Nurses, to collect donations for the familes in the areas affected by Katrina. Many people from both of those organizations have been in the thick of all this. You can find the Avalon website at http://www.officersofavalon.com/ (http://www.officersofavalon.com/)

There are many places to offer help, but these are what are swimming in my head just now :)

Melinda

[HeavensHope]

I dont know if someone else mention this yet or not but UH is accepting displaced students on all four of their campuses.

For details: http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/nr/2005/09sept/090105dispstudents.htm (http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/nr/2005/09sept/090105dispstudents.htm)


I wouldnt mind volunteering my time, wish I could do more but since I've moved to Houston I havent been able to find work. Plus, I really need something to do other then study, and watching the news only depresses me even more.

You know what, I think we should write a letter to Disney, get them to lend the Red Cross or some organization one of their cruise ships. They make alot of money, they can afford to lend one ship for a few days. Thing of how much more they can accomplish with a ship, how much more people and resources they can move.

[sirius]

I think volunteering is great...but be careful. I live in a Houston suburb and I work in Houston. One of my husbands friends is a Harris County Sherrif's Deputy and he got called out because some of the hurricane refugees being housed in the Astrodome and Reliant Center were raping people. There have also been reports of them stealing gas and food from stores near the Astrodome and people being robbed. The refugees are identifiable by pink wristbands like you would get at a concert. I am not saying all of them are doing it, but the few who are are making people not want to help them anymore.

[Airin]

leave it to a few bad people to take advantage of such a bad situation and just make it worse. are people seriously running around raping people?! i mean, i thought the looters were bad enough, but this is out of hand! just shows you, even in the midst of so much good, there are some people who are still willing to just take advantage and just be out to profit from such a terrible situation.

in other news, my school alone has taken 20 new students, some who evacuated the first time they were told, and some that just got out in the last few days. so again, if you know anyone who needs schooling, send 'em to dallas, we're still able to take more.

[HeavensHope]

damn....i didnt know about the raping. Well, I knew it was happening in New Orleans for people waiting to get out...but I didnt know they were doing in the Astrodome and Reliant center. Dont they have police officers and guards walking the grounds at night? You think with all thats going they'd be more watchful.

[Isil Darkmoon]

damn....i didnt know about the raping. Well, I knew it was happening in New Orleans for people waiting to get out...but I didnt know they were doing in the Astrodome and Reliant center. Dont they have police officers and guards walking the grounds at night? You think with all thats going they'd be more watchful.

It's not happening.

It's sprung from a hideous mix of rumor, speculation, prejudice, racism, and groupthink.

There have been two filed charges of sexual assault. The first charge has already been investigated and found to be untrue. The second is currently ongoing, but looks to lean the same direction.

The grounds are heavily armed, inside and out, around the clock.

Both of these address the issue:
Crime epidemic here nothing more than rumors (Houston Chronicle) (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/katrina/3340879)
A few holes wearing in Houston's welcome mat (Houston Chronicle) (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/katrina/3344290)

[HeavensHope]

Thank God.

[stella01904]

It's not happening.

It's sprung from a hideous mix of rumor, speculation, prejudice, racism, and groupthink.

MM ~ That's creepy. On the San Antonio news one day last week, immediately after telling of a man giving $20.00 cash to every evacuee he could, they reported that some "refugees" were "seen buying beer". SO WHAT???!!! This was immediately followed by the reporter saying that she was told that "some refugees were seen buying crack at this corner". No arrest, no proof, just someone making an idle comment that could easily have been utter b.s. and there it is on the news.
I am aware that there are surely some alcoholics and addicts among the displaced, as among ANY population, but certain jerks seem to be LOOKING for these behaviors and painting a bad picture of everyone.
The barely unspoken thrust of the news piece was that these people are incompetent to handle money. Which is racist propaganda of the highest order.
BB, Stella

[Airin]

It's not happening.

It's sprung from a hideous mix of rumor, speculation, prejudice, racism, and groupthink.

There have been two filed charges of sexual assault. The first charge has already been investigated and found to be untrue. The second is currently ongoing, but looks to lean the same direction.

The grounds are heavily armed, inside and out, around the clock.

Both of these address the issue:
Crime epidemic here nothing more than rumors (Houston Chronicle) (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/katrina/3340879)
A few holes wearing in Houston's welcome mat (Houston Chronicle) (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/katrina/3344290)

thank goddes. that was one of the worst things i've read in a while, so i'm glad its not really happening.