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August 31, 2005 Dear Friends, Hundreds of thousands of Louisianians have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please do what you can to help. Below is information on how you can help with the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts: Donations made to the American Red Cross will provide clean water, food, and shelter for disaster victims. http://www.redcross.org or 1-800-HELP-NOW Many local Red Cross chapters are organizing volunteers to travel to affected areas -- doctors and nurses to provide medical care, workers to build shelters, first responders to assist in rescue operations. The Louisiana Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross requests assistance from anyone willing to help, especially people with medical or mental health backgrounds. Call (225) 291-4533 or toll-free (866) GET-INFO. Volunteer packets are available at www.batonrouge.redcross.org. Volunteers unable to get through on busy phones lines can go to the chapter office at 10201 Mayfair Drive in Baton Rouge. You can also volunteer on the LSU campus which has been designated as a special needs facility. Call the LSU Carl Maddox Field House and Pete Maravich Assembly Center at (225) 219-0821 to volunteer at the shelters set up on the LSU campus. LSU Health Sciences Center is asking for doctors, nurses and medical students who would like to help provide medical support. Those interested should call (225) 763-5762 or email jtakenak@dhh.la.gov. Emergency medicine, internal medicine and surgeons are most needed right now but all specialities could be needed at some point. The Baton Rouge Salvation Army office, 7361 Airline Highway, is setting up warehouse distributions in Baton Rouge to send supplies and aid to the New Orleans area. They need people physically able to unload trucks and help organize supplies. To help, please call volunteer coordinator Karen Hills at (225) 355-4483. If you are not in Baton Rouge but are still available to help or volunteer, contact the following special needs shelters set up by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Department of Social Services:
Please keep the Hurricane victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Regards,
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