Astrodome

[tracyswfla]

I am wondering if we can send donations... of diapers, clothing, wipes, etc. directly to the Astrodome. Anyone want to join in and see if we can arrange an effort?

Tracy

[tracyswfla]

http://news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art ... 31013/1075

By Joan D. LaGuardia
jlaguardia@news-press.com
Published by news-press.com on August 31, 2005


Diapers are scarce in Fort Myers stores along east Colonial Boulevard near Cleveland Avenue today as hundreds of people drop off diapers and wet wipes for hurricane relief efforts.

“We are restocking and trying to get them from another store,” said Dave Minore, manager of Walgreen Drug Store, 1525 Colonial Blvd.

His own store inventory neared depletion early this afternoon. Getting diapers from nearby Walgreens is not likely to help because they also had empty diaper shelves.

“It’s been e-mailed around saying that it’s in high-demand right now,” he said.

The diaper and wet wipe drain is the result of a collection campaign spearheaded by WAYJ 88.7-FM, which began collecting hundreds of packages of diapers and wet wipes at several Fort Myers and Naples locations Tuesday.

“Our best estimate is that right now we have collected $150,000 in diapers and wipes,” said Jeff Taylor, the station's program manager.

So far, Lee and Collier county residents have donated enough diapers and wet wipes to fill a 26-foot truck trailer and most of another 24-foot trailer.

“What I think has made this diaper thing so special is that there are a lot of mothers and fathers who know what it’s like to hold a baby with a wet diaper,” Taylor said.

Hurricane victims have few resources to meet their babies’ needs.

“You can’t just do a load of laundry and wash that onesie,” Taylor said.
“This thing has gotten so much bigger than we ever imagined. There aren’t words for what we are seeing right now,” Taylor said. “It’s gone from being an outreach from WAY Fm and its listeners. Its become a community effort.”

The main drop-off is under way at the South Plaza in front of Christ Centered Book & Music, 4650 S. Cleveland Ave.

There are drop-offs in other communities as well:

• Vineyards Community Church in Cape Coral

• Harvest Ministries in Lehigh Acres

• Gospel Gifts in Port Charlotte.

At about 2 p.m, Norma Gilmore of Lehigh Acres left her home in Varsity Lakes to ask neighbors to help out with the diaper drive.

She lived in New Orleans for six years and has been moved by the images of how her former neighbors are suffering.

“I know the whole area. I knew how it was when it rained there. It’s heartbreaking,” said Gilmore, 64 and now retired.

“I feel we are blessed here in Florida because it could have been us. Whatever I can do or get my community to do, I want to do it for them,” she said. “If I could, I would go myself.”

Taylor and two other volunteers will leave at 5 a.m. Thursday to take the diapers to Tallahassee where they will be picked up by Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit group that coordinates supply lines and delivers disaster relief throughout the United States.

“The folks a U-Haul gave us a 70 percent discount because they believed in what we were doing,” Taylor said.

It’s likely the station will mount another diaper donation campaign in the coming weeks.

“People who are donating diapers are coming to us and saying, please, do this again. These diapers won’t last long,” Taylor said.

[Canelaw99]

If anyone knows of something like this in the Miami area, please post it. I've already donated to the Red Cross, but would like to do more, if possible. I have a few cases of water that were given to us this past weekend due to the boil water order, but we don't need them now. I would also buy some diapers, etc. if I had somewhere to drop them off.

[TexasSam]

KPRC TV Houston will be doing a drive all day Friday.
http://www.click2houston.com/index.html Channel 2 NBC
http://www.khou.com Channel 11 CBS
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk Channel 13 ABC
http://www.ktrh.com/main.html News radio AM 740

[soonertwister]

If you donate to the Red Cross or another of the reputable charities, it will be more effective than sending goods directly to the site where the refugees are. In fact, I suspect that Houston can easily support all of the needs of the survivors in terms of specifics in their own area, as the fourth largest city in the United States, dwarfing the size of New Orleans.

By donating cash or goods directly to the Red Cross (goods to your local chapter, they can ship MUCH cheaper than you can) you give them the ability to put the funds to use where the most critical needs are.

[simplyme]

Yes, donating directly may be cheaper... but for some people, being able to personally drop things off, or take them over is very fulfilling. It helps reduce the sense of helplessness that so many of us feel.

[NC George]

Fulfilling, yet extrememly wasteful. You are driving a car to get the items, then driving to a drop-off point. Then. a truck is being used to transport goods that were already at their final destination to another point. Lastly, as noted, there is now a shortage in your area for people who need the items. After every disaster, the Red Cross shreds boxcar loads of clothes given to people in need. Then then sell the rags for scrap so they can get what they really need - CASH.

[MKT2005]

Fulfilling, yet extrememly wasteful. You are driving a car to get the items, then driving to a drop-off point. Then. a truck is being used to transport goods that were already at their final destination to another point. Lastly, as noted, there is now a shortage in your area for people who need the items. After every disaster, the Red Cross shreds boxcar loads of clothes given to people in need. Then then sell the rags for scrap so they can get what they really need - CASH.

Yes Cash, to stuff their pockets with, which is why I will never donate money to the red cross.

[TexasSam]

Fulfilling, yet extrememly wasteful. You are driving a car to get the items, then driving to a drop-off point. Then. a truck is being used to transport goods that were already at their final destination to another point. Lastly, as noted, there is now a shortage in your area for people who need the items. After every disaster, the Red Cross shreds boxcar loads of clothes given to people in need. Then then sell the rags for scrap so they can get what they really need - CASH.

Yes Cash, to stuff their pockets with, which is why I will never donate money to the red cross.

I would say cash in Houston would be better. We have the Port of Houston here, and in fact the new 4,000,000 (four million) Wal Mart distubution center is up and running here in Baytown. Might be tough to keep up, but we have lots of people here, and all sorts of space.

[MKT2005]

Fulfilling, yet extrememly wasteful. You are driving a car to get the items, then driving to a drop-off point. Then. a truck is being used to transport goods that were already at their final destination to another point. Lastly, as noted, there is now a shortage in your area for people who need the items. After every disaster, the Red Cross shreds boxcar loads of clothes given to people in need. Then then sell the rags for scrap so they can get what they really need - CASH.

Yes Cash, to stuff their pockets with, which is why I will never donate money to the red cross.

I would say cash in Houston would be better. We have the Port of Houston here, and in fact the new 4,000,000 (four million) Wal Mart distubution center is up and running here in Baytown. Might be tough to keep up, but we have lots of people here, and all sorts of space.

I was refering to the executives of the red cross stuffing their pockets with cash. Red Cross is not a good organization like many people think.

[vbhoutex]

That is what happened in the past and supposedly has been cleaned up. This is not a forum to bash agencies trying to help the victims. Please do not use it as such.

[Eye10TX]

Wow, just heard an incredible statistic. I was watching a re-run of one of the local Houston 10PM TV newscasts from this evening that I hadn't seen originally.

They were interviewing lots of people from the TX Medical Center who had been bringing in NOLA hospital patients all day--hundreds of them, from preemies to elderly.

One of the docs said they are also going to be giving FREE medical care to all the Katrina refugees staying here in Houston -- and they have been told that the number is between 50,000 and 100,000! Wow.

[jopatura]

My mother just emailed me, she works at St. Lukes Hospital in the Houston Medical Center. She has been informed that at least half the Superdome refugees are going to need medical treatment when they get here. All hospitals in the Houston area have been put on "disaster status".

[GalvestonDuck]

Fulfilling, yet extrememly wasteful. You are driving a car to get the items, then driving to a drop-off point. Then. a truck is being used to transport goods that were already at their final destination to another point. Lastly, as noted, there is now a shortage in your area for people who need the items. After every disaster, the Red Cross shreds boxcar loads of clothes given to people in need. Then then sell the rags for scrap so they can get what they really need - CASH.

Yes Cash, to stuff their pockets with, which is why I will never donate money to the red cross.

I would say cash in Houston would be better. We have the Port of Houston here, and in fact the new 4,000,000 (four million) Wal Mart distubution center is up and running here in Baytown. Might be tough to keep up, but we have lots of people here, and all sorts of space.

I was refering to the executives of the red cross stuffing their pockets with cash. Red Cross is not a good organization like many people think.

Tell ya what - you keep your cash, you keep your clothes. But how about donating your TIME? I challenge you. It doesn't even have to be with the Red Cross. Go to your church, workplace, wherever you know a fundraising drive or shelter is happening. Instead of moaning about past PR problems and SNAFU's with the ARC and others, do something. And if you hear someone else talk about donating to the Red Cross, instead of knocking them or dissuading them, how about telling them just to be sure to specify it for Hurricane Katrina relief?

And do a little research about what the ARC does.

The Red Cross does not just respond to large-scale disasters. When a family loses their home to a fire, the ARC is there. It's still a disaster to that family and they need help. Do you have any idea how many single-family dwelling and apartment fires happen in this nation every day?

Thousands of people across the US are CPR-certified, thanks to the Red Cross. Hundreds of patients are receiving blood transplants every day, thanks to the Red Cross.

And right now, hurricane victims are being helped, thanks to the Red Cross, as well as many other charities, with the help of volunteers.