Where to Volunteer

[SouthFloridawx]

Where do we go to volunteer to help? I know you have to be trained to do certain work but, I want to go help in anyway I can.

[Rory]

The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or go to http://www.salvationarmy.org

The Red Cross is also, at http://www.redcross.org

[NC George]

Another poster mentioned the Red Cross would pay for your transport there if you could commit to a 3 week stay. You would of course be staying in shelter-like conditions while not volunteering. Call the Red Cross for more info.

If you are a Beptist, contact the Southern Baptist Convention, they did a lot of work in our area after Floyd, in fact they still have a Disaster Recovery Station down the street from me.

Lastly I would say the Salvation Army would probably be needing volunteers, as they distribute food from mobile kitchens.

The three groups I just mentioned above, IMHO, did the most good in our area, and were first to provide hot meals and shelter, and last to leave.

[GalvestonDuck]

Where do we go to volunteer to help? I know you have to be trained to do certain work but, I want to go help in anyway I can.

Right now, any help is appreciated. After Andrew, many of us from UK hospital went to the mall parking lot in Lexington and helped receive donations and then sort them and label boxes - diapers, food, pet food, formula, children's clothes, women's men, shoes, cleaning products, etc. Then they were loaded onto a convoy of trucks. Each driver just got in and headed out to FL as soon as his truck was loaded. Sorting like that is important because it makes it easy to distribute at the destination. And it kept hazmat problems from happening because bleach-based cleaners can not be boxed with ammonia-based cleaners.

You can also help with maintenance and clean-up at shelters (someone's gotta take the trash out and stock toilet paper once in a while ), as well as helping with serving meals and cleaning up after wards. Finally, you could participate in fund-raising efforts (calling local companies for donations).

[MBismyPlayground]

Wondering if any of you might have info on any type of adopting a family kind of thing?? Maybe someone(s) that want to relocate or whatever...I have room and feel the need to do something to help someone.

[GalvestonDuck]

Wondering if any of you might have info on any type of adopting a family kind of thing?? Maybe someone(s) that want to relocate or whatever...I have room and feel the need to do something to help someone.

Call your chamber of commerce and they might be able to help. That's one of the groups that was talking this evening here in Galveston. They have a list of rental properties and apartment owners who are willing to rent out their apartments to people for less than usual rent or, better, free of charge.

It might be the same there in MB, or your local Red Cross coordinators might know another area for that in your area.

God bless ya for that!

[memphisvol]

listening to the mississippi public radio today, they sound like they're getting weary at all the shelters, go volunteer at a shelter if you are close, they'd really appreciate it