Helping the Victims
We are receiving refugees here in Miami. If you have no home, home is found in a friend's house, or a relative's apartment. And so they come here. My wife is a teacher, and she has a new student -- a refugee from Mississippi. I talked with a friend in Atlanta who used to serve a church here in Miami, he says, there are no vacant rooms in the hotels there. One of his church members has taken in 29 guests! And Atlanta is not exactly next door to where Katrina hit!
I've already plugged on charity for the Katrina Victims. Here is a great idea from Dawn's blog, Thoughts Along The Broken Road
She challenges bloggers to unite for Katrina Victims. She says, "Your mission should you choose to accept it:"
1) Select a charity you'd like to support from this list here, or add your own. (I listed the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance).
2) Register your blog here.
3) Post at least once on your blog about the charity of your choice. Make sure to include a link to Instapundit's roundup page and the TTLB Katrina Relief page, and e-mail Instapundit the URL of your post.
4) Encourage your readers to donate to your recommended charity, and send them to the contribution logging page at TTLB to record their donations.
posted by Apostle John at 11:53 PM
5 Comments:
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Great idea. It's nice to see people respond like this.
A word of advice on giving to charities (I work for one). My policy is to always investigate a charity before giving to see where the money is going (other than churches). Here are two great links to research charities.
http://www.guidestar.org/
http://www.charitynavigator.org
Charity Navigator investigates non-profits and their finances and rates them. The highest rating, which my charity has, is four stars. Here’s some tips on giving from Charity Navigator:
1) Give to an established charity.
2) Designate your gift to go towards the cause you want to help (i.e. mark on the check and the envelope – Hurricane Katrina relief)
3) Avoid telemarketers.
4) Research the charity.
Some organizations, like the Red Cross and Salvation Army, can quickly mobilize and have resources in place to help the most urgent needs. The most urgent needs are medical assistance, food, water, blankets, tents for housing, vaccinations against diseases like cholera and hepatitis.
Others provide much-needed long term relief, long after the media has gone away and the crisis isn't in the public's eye. These are charities like Habitat for Humanity, etc.
IF you send to a charity BE SURE to write it is designated HURRICANE KATRINA relief. Otherwise, it may just go into the general fund.
Thanks for doing this!
Oh, BTW, if you're having problems with spammers, add comment verification to your blog. I had to do this after I got nailed by spammers.
It would be great if someone knew of churches that needed a church to partner up with them during this time of horrible disaster. Know anyone who I can contact? I'm very much thinking about cancelling our mission trip to Mexico this spring and partnering with a church in the south through prayers, finanacial, and rebuilding. We just need a church to get in touch with.
My organization is sending food, water and aid and distributing through churches in the affected areas. The trucks are due to arrive Tuesday. I have a partial list below, with addresses. I'm sure these churches might need help. And please, if you know anyone in the affected areas who live in these cities listed below, direct them to the churches. They are distributing to everyone in need.
Listed below are the sites that are set up and have products or will receive by September 6, 2005.
Relief Centers:
1. Gulfport Church of God (open)
2416 29th Street
Gulfport, MS 39501
2. Covington Fountain of Praise Church (open)
1041 North Hwy 190 bypass
Covington, LA 70433
3. Bayou La Batre Church of God (open)
11960 Argyle RD
Irvington, AL 36544
4. Hattisburg Church of God (open 9/03/05)
6607 Hwy 49 North
Hattiesburg, MS
5. Lucedale Church of God (open 9/03/05)
1 West Frontage RD
Lucedale, MS 39452
6. Gautier Church of God (open 9/04/05)
5209 Gautier/Van Cleave RD
Gautier, MS 39553
7. Pascagoula Church of God (open 9/06/05)
2511 Chicot DR
Pascagoula, MS
8 Picuyane Church of God (open 9/06/05) Exit 2 on I 59 South Picuyane, MS
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