Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Schools add 142 to rolls; school supplies needed nowBy JOHN MUNFORD As of Friday morning, Fayette County schools have registered 142 new students this week as families fleeing the areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina have relocated here. That is almost triple the number of students that had registered by Tuesday. Fayette County High School has the greatest number of new students of all schools in the system, with 23 according to Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, schools spokesperson. A big need for Fayettes newest neighbors is school supplies and bookbags, which are being collected at the offices of the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services, located just south of the Towne Center Kroger shopping center in Fayetteville on Ga. Highway 85 south. With more than 300 families and 500 persons here from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, there will continue to be a need for gift cards and certificates so they can buy food, clothes, gas and medicine, officials said. Wednesday afternoon, the Fayette County Board of Commissioners voted to allocate up to $25,000 to DFCS to provide for the immediate needs of families who have relocated here. Meanwhile, Fayette County churches, businesses and individuals are continuing to reach out to families who have migrated here away from the destructive path left by Hurricane Katrina, officials said. At least 11 families will be moving into their own home here thanks to the efforts of one local church, said Becky Smith of Fayette FACTOR, who has been helping process housing applications from families displaced by Katrinas wrath. Fayettes faith-based community, business folks and even recreational groups are pulling interested folks together to collectively make a way for families who a week ago saw no way and some no hope for life ever being good again, Smith said. The community has kept snacks and drinks coming at the DFCS offices for those waiting to meet with staffers who are providing direct assistance. For clothing, many families are being steered to local thrift stores and volunteer organizations such as Real Life Services in Tyrone and Fayette Samaritans in Fayetteville. The Samaritans, which provide food for needy families in the area, have had some of their food supplies cut off as companies which normally donate food have been told to steer such donations to the hurricane-ravaged areas. Cash donations are important for the Samaritans too, as they use the money to buy food that isnt donated but is necessary, such as ground turkey, ground beef and chicken, said administrator Charlie Charping. Donations to the Samaritans are tax deductible because the group is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit agency. Food donations sought include Peanut butter and jelly, canned meat and tuna, canned fruit, beans and rice, pasta and sauce and fruit juices. Also needed are personal care products and new packages of mens underwear. To donate, drop by the Samaritans location at 126 Hickory Road, just behind Fayetteville Christian Church off New Hope Road. They are open from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
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