Friday, May 19, 2006

cbs4boston.com - Saugus Leaders Start Flood Fundraising Effort

cbs4boston.com - Saugus Leaders Start Flood Fundraising Effort: "Saugus Leaders Start Flood Fundraising Effort
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If Your Home Floods

(CBS4) SAUGUS An emergency fund is being started in Saugus for the city’s flood victims. Community leaders have come together to start the fund, with the goal of raising money, and getting those funds to the people who need them, quicky.

“We can not raise enough to help everyone but hopefully we can help some who are displaced or unable to meet basic needs. We are looking to everyone in Saugus to help create this fund,” said Selectman Michael Kelleher.
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Eyewitness News - State officials urge charitable giving for flood victims

Eyewitness News - State officials urge charitable giving for flood victims: "state officials urge charitable giving for flood victims

BOSTON State officials urge people who want to help out victims from this week's flooding to do so wisely.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Christine McCombs says donated goods and volunteers that aren't specifically needed can actually hurt more than help."

Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Sun Herald | 05/18/2006 | Clearinghouse idea works

The Sun Herald | 05/18/2006 | Clearinghouse idea works: "GULFPORT - Most sectors of the Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal crafted lengthy lists of recommendations for creating a better post-Katrina South Mississippi. But the Non-Governmental Organizations Committee made only three suggestions.

'That's because every meeting we had, we heard the same things time after time, even when different people were there,' said Reginald Sykes, chairman of the committee and vice president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Jefferson Davis campus. 'We felt as a committee that the main thing we needed is to do a better job of organizing nonprofits. That's where the idea of a clearinghouse was mentioned.'

And the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits promptly began working on the three recommendations.

Nonprofit and faith-based groups played a crucial role in people's survival after Katrina and continue to play a key role in recovery and rebuilding. Thousands of volunteers and billions in relief dollars have flowed from every corner of the nation and world through these groups. In the case of the federal government's slow, lackluster response to Katrina, nonprofits in many cases were the first responders."

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Channelnewsasia.com-singapore Red Cross to send 5-member relief team to Merapi

Channelnewsasia.com: "singapore Red Cross to send 5-member relief team to Merapi
By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia


SINGAPORE : The Singapore Red Cross is sending a five-member relief team to Merapi to assist its counterpart the Indonesian Red Cross and its efforts there.

Also on the way there are five boxes of medical supplies for affected residents and volunteers.

The team is not new to disaster relief. All four nurses and one logistics administrator were involved in post-tsunami relief operations in Meulaboh, and in the aftermath of earthquakes in Nias and Pakistan. "

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

The Herald-Zeitung-Comal County community leaders are preparing for a disaster of 2005 proportions

The Herald-Zeitung: "comal County community leaders are preparing for a disaster of 2005 proportions — or greater.

The preparations are part of a new effort to ready the county’s leaders for any situation that requires large numbers of organized, well-trained volunteers, such as the influx of hundreds of Hurricane Katrina victims who flooded the community last fall.

Although local groups and individuals rose to the occasion, refusing to let anyone in need fall through the cracks, community leaders quickly realized their response could have been enhanced with a little advance planning."

Monday, May 15, 2006

The Sun Herald | 05/14/2006 | Money comes slowly to new nonprofits

The Sun Herald | 05/14/2006 | Money comes slowly to new nonprofits: "Money comes slowly to new nonprofits
Small charities must prove themselves
By SHELIA BYRD
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BILOXI - Frances Burney's home smells like fresh paint. It is fully furnished, the white walls are immaculate and not a speck of dust dares to land on the hardwood floors.

Not long ago the house was a waterlogged heap, a grim remnant of Hurricane Katrina. But volunteers from the East Biloxi Coordination and Relief Center cleared out the muck and rebuilt the interior. Without them, the 92-year-old woman would probably still be sleeping on a nursing home bed.

Burney's home was one of thousands all along the Coast either splintered by the hurricane or left in soggy ruins.

City Councilman Bill Stallworth is proud of his relief center's work, but he's frustrated that limited funds restrict the number of houses his center can refurbish. His home is one of those awaiting repair.

Accessing the millions of dollars raised to help Katrina victims can be a challenge for small grassroots organizations such as the relief center. Much of the money is awarded to larger charities with a proven track record, such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity."