book drive for katrina, 4

Received more e-mails from Houston today.

I was forwarded the email of a person at a Houston organization who is currently actively working on collecting school supplies from Houston citizens. I have e-mailed her and asked for more information.

I was also e-mailed a lead (by two other organizations) of another Houston organization who may be interested in some books.

Someone also mentioned that one may want to contact Mississippi and Arkansas (since some refugees are ending up there) to see if anyone is looking for books and school supplies there.

I hate to admit this, but it took me several hours to dig up the Houston organizations to contact, and I have responsibilities in my own life I need to attend to. As as result, it could take me a bit, if ever, to get around to finding such contacts in these states. Therefore, if one of you (or someone you know) wants to find and make these contacts and spread the word, please don't forget to post the information here; I'll spread the information around myself.

where and how to make school supply donations for hurricane katrina survivors

I would like to begin by saying that I have contacted these people, they did not contact me. I actually contacted several people and these are two sources that have been mentioned by more than one organization in the Houston area. Please pass this information around to anyone you think may care.

For example, Carol Spencer, the CPAs Helping Schools Committee Liaison
of the Houston CPA Society, and Jennifer Yould, the Special Events Supervisor of the Houston Independent School District Community Relations Department, have both informed me of the following options:

The Houston Independent School District (who just had ONE middle school enroll five-hundred evacuees and ONE high-school enroll three-hundred) is accepting monetary gifts and school supply donations for the children who had to leave their homes due to the hurricane.

The information can be found at THIS SITE.

In summary, they need teachers and all kinds of supplies, which are listed here.

The school supplies can be sent here:

HISD Warehouse Operations—Central Receiving

Care of Anne Silver

228 McCarty

Houston, Texas 77029

A special account has also been created for any monetary donations. Such checks can be made out to:

HISD Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Assistance

and mailed to:

HISD's Office of Strategic Partnerships

3830 Richmond Avenue

Houston, TX 77027-5838

Communities in Schools Houston (CIS) is also accepting the donation of gift cards (i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) that will be used to provide school supplies and other necessary items (shampoo, toothbrushes, etc.) for the children.

Their address is:

Communities In Schools

2150 W. 18th Street, Suite 100,

Houston, Texas 77008

A copy of their information release:

HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER RELIEF

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS HOUSTON

August 31, 2005

Hurricane Katrina has left thousands upon thousands of families displaced, many of whom are now considered refugees and homeless in the Houston area. We have so many already here and with the 10,000 arriving from the New Orleans Superdome over the next few days, the needs of the children are compounding to a crisis level. Communities In Schools Houston (CIS Houston) is a non-profit social services organization that operates on the campuses of ninety elementary, middle and high schools around the Houston area. CIS Houston coordinates social services that meet students’ physical and emotional needs and is now facing the enrollment of the refugee children into school with just the clothes on their backs and a devastating trauma on their hearts and minds.

CIS Houston plans to not only provide for physical needs such as clothing and backpacks, but also for emotional needs as the children and teens enter into the Houston and surrounding area school districts. CIS Houston also plans to provide medical care and immunizations to the children through our medical mobile unit.

As we provide for as many of these children as possible, we are faced with needs of our own. Some of the areas for which we are seeking your assistance are through:

1. Gift cards to stores such as Target, Fallas Paredes and WalMart to help provide clothing, such as underwear, socks, school uniforms and shoes.

2. Gift cards to stores such as CVS and Walgreens to provide prescription assistance.

3. Gift cards to Family Dollar and such organizations help provide shampoo, deodorant and other personal items.

4. Gift cards to H.E.B., Kroger, Fiesta and Randalls for food and other items.

5. Monies to assist in the operation of the Medical Mobile Unit. This unit will provide Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B immunizations along with general exams. The cost to run the unit per day is approximately $1,700:

We are grateful for your compassion towards these refugees. They have truly lost everything and do not know when, or if, they will be able to return home. Without the vital resources that organizations such as yours bring to CIS Houston, we could not accomplish all that we do for these children.