Even though our lives may not be directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina, it's still a heart-breaking situation and so many of us would like to help. There are currently several organizations who are accepting donations. I have found two more. If you have a special place in your heart for education or children, here's another option.

As a result of Hurricane Katrina, the Houston schools have found themselves overwhelmed with the huge number of evacuee children who are currently enrolling in their schools. For example, one middle-school has just had five-hundred students enroll, while one high-school is scrambling to accommodate three-hundred.

I have spent the last several days contacting and corresponding with some official organizations (e.g. school districts, the food bank, legal organizations and libraries) in Houston who are currently working on collecting school supplies and books for the New Orleans, Louisiana refugees. Here is what I have found:

The Houston Independent School District (http://www.houstonisd.org/) is accepting monetary gifts and donations of school supplies for the refugee children. The relevant information (including a link for the necessary school supplies) can be found at http://www.houstonisd.org/HISD/portal/article/front/0,2731,20856_90333894_126391250 ,00.html . (Please note they are also in need of more teachers if you, or someone you know, qualifies.)

School supplies can be sent here:
HISD Warehouse Operations-Central Receiving
Care of Anne Silver
228 McCarty
Houston, Texas 77029

A special checking account has also been opened for any monetary donations. 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, Texas 77027-5838

Communities in Schools Houston ( http://www.cishouston.org/ )is accepting gift card donations (e.g. Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc.) so items such as school supplies, toiletries, and prescriptions can be provided for the children.

Their address is:

Communities in Schools
2150 W. 18th Street, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77008

I'll post pertinent portions of their information release below.

I've run into several people who have said they would like to help, but they don't have a lot of money to spare. That is a sentiment I truly understand. However, if you are interested in helping (whether through the American Red Cross, United Way, a religious organization, or the above organizations), please don't forget that even $5.00 can make a difference. Even foregoing one's morning mocha and donating that money can make a difference, especially if a lot of people do it.

I am also working on compiling information on where people can send books (like that one Danielle Steele novel you'll never read again -- someone from NOLA would probably like that escape for a little while) to donate to the refugees (adult and children) and will post these details when my information is more complete.

If anyone has any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at mlance@gmail.com .

Communities in Schools information:

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.

I'll be looking into Dallas's Independent School District since we ended up taking a lot of people into Reunion Arena and DISD just got merged with another school district a few weeks ago. That's a lot of kids. If I find anything, I'll post it here (if that's okay).

Edited to update:

I called DISD's administrative number (972-925-3700) earlier this week and they said they're taking donations through the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. They also gave me a number for a guy in maintenance (Chuck Tiller, 972-925-4900) when I asked about tangible donations (clothes, school supplies, etc.). I haven't been able to get a hold of him yet, but -- due to my schedule -- I'm afraid I haven't been able to call very often.

Anyway, that's the meager results of my search.

Please donate how and when makes the most sense to you. I, for example, held off donating until I could take advantage of a matching challenge, to double the money.

A little heads-up about a really scummy phishing expedition running around right now purporting to be from Amazon.com collecting money for Hurricane Katrina victims. According to Email Essentials, a newsletter I subscribe to,

"A message arrived a short time ago that is a new low in scamming and so offends us that we’re sending this special warning.

It appears to be a message from Amazon suggesting that you make a donation to the American Red Cross for victims of Katrina. But the message does NOT come from Amazon at all.

The From: address is faked to make it seem to come from Amazon. The look of the message copies the style used by Amazon and the wording is mostly lifted from the real Amazon appeal on their web site.

But the link in the email isn’t to the Amazon site, instead it goes to another web site – though the link uses the Amazon web address in it to make the url look more legitimate. Tracing the link takes us to the details for the “ China Railway Telecommunications Center “ in Beijing which could be real or just a front.

As with other phishing scams, the link takes you to a site that looks legitimate and lures you into entering your account, password or credit card details.

We picked this particular message as spam because it was sent to an address that we don’t use with Amazon, otherwise it would not have immediately rung any alarm bells. Having seen the messages on the real Amazon site it looked sincere."

The newsletter goes on to advise

Organizing agency: The American College of Nurse-Midwives in Wash, DC

Administering agencies: University of Texas Medical Branch
Nurse-Midwives in
Galveston and Texas Healthcare Nurse Midwives in Ft Worth

Distribution center locations: Throughout Texas for the refugees of
this
storm. Please help!

Where to send blankets and infant clothing:
Texas Health Care Nurse-Midwives
1050 South 5th Avenue, Suite F
Fort Worth, Texas 76104.
Phone (24 hour) is 817-870-3686

Carolyn Nelson Becker, CNM
Dept of Ob/Gyn UTMB
301 University Blvd
Galveston, TX 77555-0587

More information available at http://www.midwife.org/news.cfm?id=357

Additional Contact Information: CathyCNM@MSN.com or 303-823-0204
Cathy Hartt, RN, CNM, MS
Empower! Health, Life and Business Coaching
PO Box 1930, Lyons, CO 80540

Please pass on this message from HMBANA (Human Milk Bank Association
of North America).

Our hearts are with the people whose lives have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please help us spread the word that HMBANA milk banks are available to provide milk to Katrina Hurricane victim
babies/children with a medically indicated need for human milk and who do not have their own mother's milk available. This will also require an increase in donor mothers. Help us inform interested lactating mothers, especially those in states with milk banks to call their nearest donor milk bank for further information. www.hmbana.com

Approval as a donor involves a triple screening process beginning with an initial phone screening for medical, dietary and lifestyle factors which might make the donor
ineligible, followed by written documentation of their medical history and a signed medical release to be sent to both mom and baby's health care providers, and last would be the willingess to have blood work drawn. Our screening process is similar to those used when one donates blood. I am most grateful for you assistance
in this matter.

Offer free housing to hurricane evacuees:
http://www.hurricanehousing.org/host.html?id=

How it works:
* Your info is hidden. If you offer to host, people looking for housing will be able to see your posting, but not your name and email. You can choose whether or not to list your phone number.
* We pass you requests by email. When someone requests housing through our site, we will send you an email with their contact info and their message to you. It's your responsibility to follow up with them by email or phone..
* You remove your offer when it's filled. When you post an offer, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to remove your posting in case you fill it, or no longer have space. People will continue to contact you until you do so.
* Be patient. Even with our outreach efforts, it may take up to a week or two for word of the housing you've offered to reach the people who need it.

Guidelines:
* Be smart. We can make no guarantees about the people who contact you. They have simply seen our website or contact number. Please use common sense and caution (see our guidelines for deciding if a request will make a good match). YOU decide who to take in, among the people who contact you.
* Don't discriminate. This is a time to pull together, as a nation. You may not post offers which specify preference for people of a certain race, religion, class, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
* Use your real zip code, please. Posts from other parts of the country which use southeast zip codes make the site confusing for evacuees, and will be removed.
* Housing in the Southeast is best. The greatest need is within several hundred miles of the affected region, though some evacuees are being transported to distant cities, and need housing there too.
* Only list your own housing. Please don't post lodging that's not actually yours to offer!
* Offers should be FREE. You cannot charge rent.
* Hurricane survivors need work too. If, in addition to housing, you can connect hurricane survivors with temporary work, please note that in your description

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2. HURRY HOMES!
TEMPORARY HOMES & RETREATS FOR NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS & ARTISTS
LEAF & Tipitina’s Foundation of New Orleans team up to help find temporary homes for New Orleans artists, musicians & their families. The LEAF community is kind, generous, and huge supporters or arts & music. Tipitinas’s is the heart of the New Orleans music community & has contacts with lots of musicians who need our help now.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Be a “foster family” and offer your spare room(s) to Katrina Evacuees!

Email hurricanesupport@theleaf.com with the following information and we will put you on a community support bulletin that will be circulated throughout the Tipitina’s community and beyond.
* YOUR NAME:
* BEST CONTACT EMAIL OR #:
* LOCATION OF HOME (City or area):
* How many adults welcomed:
* How many kids welcomed:
* Pets welcome? If so, what kind?
* Period of time available (days, weeks, months):
* Any other information that would help us find a good match (Some families are willing to sponsor kids while their parents go home to rebuild. If this applies to you please note.)

With deep deep thanks & appreciation that we have a LEAF community that I know is willing to help and be there for the world of music and arts that has brought us all so much happiness. Now they need us- lets help.
Thank you!
Jennifer, Kerri, Leigh & Bill from Tipitina's

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3. OpenYourHome.com
http://www.openyourhome.com/

(if website is busy, keep trying)

But I also found one other site thats gives tips and guidelines for people who want to donate to the relief effort. It lists all the major charity organizations and gives links to different charity related articles. I found it very helpful.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/catid/68/cpid/310.htm