–contributed by Tech Support (Chris Jacobs)
With apologies for pre-empting the Editor, here’s a temporary link to collect donations for victims of Hurricaine Katrina through the Salvation Army. Life is topsy-turvy right now, and I’m not sure when I will have time to make permanent alterations to get a button up on the site’s right sidebar, but that will get you where you’re most needed.
The Salvation Army says it’s concerned about “donor fatigue,” and that the funds pledged so far may run out sooner than the need. $.98 of every dollar donated to the Salvation Army goes directly to victims of tragedies, unlike many large charities that have a higher overhead due to broader mission focus.
If you can, please give.
And, forgive me for repeating myself, but if you can’t afford to give monetarily, there are many ways for you to help:
Give Blood (Call 1-800-GIVELIFE to find out where you should go). While you’re there, ask about getting Red Cross Disaster Relief training.
Contact your local school, church, synagogue, or other civic organization and find out what they are doing and how you can help. Even an hour or two of lugging water jugs or making phone calls makes a difference, and it will take hundreds of thousands of people to help.
Car pool, minimize recreational travel, and otherwise help conserve fuel for a while. It will help give the distribution system so badly shaken by the disaster a chance to recover equilibrium.
Offer room in your home or in a rental property to those who are homeless: http://www.hurricanehousing.org/?id=5951-5755241-C4AYKxPwCjpdTpyPbQNHXQ
Pray. Think good things about your fellow human beings. Be constructive in your life rather than destructive. Cliched, but helpful nonetheless .
Got more ideas? Leave them here.