Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Fayettes help needed urgentlyBy JOHN MUNFORD Whether its donations of money to the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services or to the American Red Cross ... or food and clothes donations, or volunteering, there are plenty of ways Fayette residents can help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Gift cards and gift certificates are an immediate need for families staying here who were displaced by the hurricane. They can be dropped off at the Fayette DFCS office in Fayetteville, just south of Ramah Road past the Towne Center (Kroger) shopping center at 905 Ga. Highway 85 south. Local officials are urging that clothes be donated to thrift stores such as Clothes Less Traveled on Huddleston Road in Peachtree City or Fayette Thrift Shop near the Big Lots in Fayetteville. Likewise, food donations should be made to organizations like Fayette Samaritans in Fayetteville and the Real Life Center on Tyrone. Following is detailed information on what donations are needed and where they can be dropped off. Updated information can be found at www.TheCitizen.com. The Real Life Center The Real Life Center, an arm of Dogwood Church in Tyrone, is collecting food, clothing and school supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Donations can be taken to the donation center at 382 Senoia Rd. where the road intersects with Crabapple Lane. The center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays and Thursday evenings from 5-7 p.m. The Real Life Center is working closely with officials from the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services, who are referring hurricane victims staying here to Real Life Services for assistance. Food and toiletries are needed the most, organizers said. Specific clothing needs are as follows: For children and teens: school appropriate clothing including short sleeve shirts, blue jeans, all sizes of sneakers, underwear and socks. For men: short sleeve shirts, pants (blue jeans preferred), sneakers of all sizes, socks and underwear. For women: large, extra large and plus size short sleeve tops, pants sizes 12 and up, sneakers of all sizes, bras, socks and underwear. Backpacks are also sought to help children get ready for school, and adults can also use them. Food can also be brought to Fayetteville Sunday night at The Villages Amphitheater where workers will collect non-perishable food during the free God and Country Night concert that begins at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Food collected there will be used for local families and those affected by the hurricane, officials said. Real Life Services also plans to organize a career connection network to help local refugees get work. Volunteers are on hand when the donation center is open, sorting all donated items. For information call Cathy Berggren at 770-487-6691 or 770-631-9334. Fayette Samaritans Needs include all types of foods and all types of clothing, especially underwear. The special need is for mens and childrens underwear. They are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. They are located at 126 Hickory Road, next to the Fayetteville Christian Church. North Fayette UMC asks for Health Kits Doug Barrell, pastor of North Fayette United Methodist Church, is encouraging area residents to put together health kits which the church is going to make available to the United Methodist Committee on Relief or the American Red Cross. A health kit will cost about $12 to put together and will include the following items: hand towel, wash cloth, comb, nail file or fingernail clippers, bath-size bar of soap, toothbrush, large tube of toothpaste, and bandaids. Please put these items in a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. Do not include money, notes or any other literature. These kits may be brought to North Fayette UMC, 847 New Hope Rd., Fayetteville, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. Fayetteville First United Methodist Church They are accepting donations on behalf of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. It provides relief to disaster areas with 100 percent of the tax deductible gift going toward the project you designate. Checks can be made to FFUMC, with hurricane relief on the memo line. You can also donate online at methodistrelief.org or by phone at 1-800-554-8583. McDonough Road Baptist Church The church is asking for monetary gifts to the church. These will be sent in one total to the Georgia Baptist Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. For information call 770-460-5423. Hopewell United Methodist Church The United Methodist Committee on Relief has posted on its Web site an urgent need for Health Kits and Flood Buckets. Instructions for assembling the kits can be found at www.umcor.org. The church also has printed copies of the items available in the foyer of the church. Monetary donations can be made to Hopewell UMC, earmarking the check Hurricane Katrina Response-Georgia Fund 943. All donations will be sent to help disaster relief efforts as soon as possible. Red Cross needs disaster fund donations The American Red Cross is providing temporary shelter at more than 230 locations for victims displaced by damage from Hurricane Katrina. This is the largest mobilization in the history of the agency, officials said. Anyone wanting to donate money or in-kind donations can call the local Red Cross agency at 404-870-4440. Volunteers are also needed and can call 404-870-4425. Several Red Cross shelters have already been opened in metro Atlanta, and more may be necessary, officials said. The Red Cross, supported in large part by donations from citizens and corporations, is making a plea for financial support to help with hurricane relief efforts. Secure online donations also may be made at www.redcross.org. The American Red Cross has set up a shelter for Hurricane Katrina victims at Central Baptist Church at 14 West Broad Street in Newnan. The shelter has a capacity of 250. For more information, contact Joel Richardson at 770-253-0610. Catholics respond to crisis The Catholic Church of St. Gabriel is taking up a collection for hurricane victims at the request of Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory. Many residents in the New Orleans and surround areas are Catholic and are calling upon local Catholic churches for assistance. Also the church is working closely with Square Foot ministries on building an addition on the home of a local home where many family members from the Louisiana area have come to stay. For information on how you can help, call the church at 770-461-0492. Truck loads in Fayetteville Saturday Bring supplies for hurricane victims to the Hobby Lobby / Krystal Parking lot on Ga. Hwy. 85 in Fayetteville Saturday. Girl Scout Troop 511 of the Ga. Pine Valley Council is organizing this relief effort which will hand deliver collected items to those who are most in need. They are asking people to donate bottled water, Gatorade and Powerade, clothes for both adults and children, tooth brushes, tooth paste, diapers, formula, baby food, toilet paper feminine products, wipes hand sanitizer, soap, shampoo, combs, brushes and prayers. Other items they would like to have include coloring books, stufed animals. pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, notebooks, pens, pencils, tents, fans, batteries, flashlights and more. They are also asking for help with their journey and are asking for large, strong boxes for organizing donated goods, permanent markers to label boxes, help with the cost of fuel for the donated tractor trailers and volunteers to help load the trucks and spread the word. For more information, e-mail mydutzi@yahoo.com. Fairburn UMC helps evacuees Fairburn United Methodist Church is helping two families who have evacuated from the New Orleans area. The church is in need of non-perishable food, diapers, clothes, money, books, toys, and baby items. For information contact Debbie Jenkins, 404-277-9786, or call the church at 770-964-3393. Take donations to Landmark The students at Landmark Christian School have a goal to collect $5,000 to offer releif to the victims of Hurrciane Katrina. Students will bring their donations to Bible class or their elementary school teacher and the school will be accepting cash or check donations at the main offices in Peachtree City and Fairburn, as well as at the business office in Fairburn. The school is partnering with City of Refuge, a nonprofit charitable organization headed up by Landmark parent Bruce Deel. Deel stated that Atlanta will host close to 10,000 refugees from the hurricane over the next several months and City of Refuge will provide shelter, diapers, water, clothes, medical care and other basic needs. On Sept. 15, the high school will deliver Landmarks Quarters for Katrina Relief donation when they attend chapel at the City of Refuge. Salvation Army accepts donations in Jonesboro The Salvation Army has a donation center in Jonesboro at 130 Spring Street, across from Lee Street Elementary. Volunteers will staff the donation truck from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Salvation Army has issued a desperate plea for donations of canned goods and personal hygiene items for the more than 1,900 people who have already come to metro Atlanta Salvation Army facilities needing help. Twin blankets and sheets, pillows, towels, shampoo, soap, razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes/combs, Q-tips, band aids/antibiotic ointment, baby food, bottles, diapers and baby wipes are needed. Cash is also helpful because it can save money on shipping costs. Wild Birds Unlimited accepts donations Wild Birds Unlimited, 100 N. Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Crossings Shopping Center, will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items, diapers, baby supplies, and any related emergency supplies - we well either take them to the Salvation Army ourselves or have items picked up. We will also be accepting cash donations, in any amount, for a non-profit organization called Noahs Wish, which helps animals in disaster situations. Their site, if further info is needed, is www.noahswish.org. Cut-off for donations of either kind is October 1, and well be posting what was collected on our website in October. If you have questions, please call or e-mail us, and thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide. iSold It on eBay raises funds iSold It Peachtree City is asking individuals in the community to donate items for auction on eBay, with the resulting proceeds to be used to fund food and supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The company has selected the American Red Cross as the recipient of proceeds earned through drop-off donations. Individuals can help victims of the hurricane by bringing in new and used items to the iSold It Peachtree City store in the Braelinn Village Shopping Center. Items should have a minimum eBay selling value of $30 - $50. The Peachtree City iSold It store is located at 536 Crosstown Drive in the Braelinn Shopping Center in Peachtree City just a few doors down from Kroger. Call 770-632-7227 or send an e-mail to todd@isolditptc.com for more details or questions. |
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