Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Hurricane Katrina relief efforts (Wed. Sept. 21, 2005)Benefit dinner tonight at Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is hosting a pair of dinners Sept. 21 and 28 from 5:30-7 p.m. in support of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. The church is at 101 Walt Banks Road in Peachtree City. Please phone the church office at 770-487-7672 so that the church can get a head count. Fundraiser at Newnan restaurant Sept. 27 Johnny Carinos in Newnan will be hosting a benefit dinner for the victims of Hurricane Katrina Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 4-10 p.m. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this dinner will be donated to the American Red Cross. For more information about this promotion, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-HELPNOW (www.atlantaredcross.org). Johnny Carinos is at 1180 Bullsboro Drive. City Cafe fund-raiser nets $6,700 City Cafe held a special all-you-can-eat brunch Sunday to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The menu featured a New Orleans flavor and caring citizens packed the restaurant from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. All proceeds and tips will go to organizations helping the victims and the entire staff volunteered their time for the special meal. The benefit raised a total of $6,700 with $4,898 coming from food sales and $1,798 and change coming from tips and donations. The restaurant rounded up the amount to the $6,700 total. Stonebriar raises $740 for Katrina victims The sky was blue; the sun was bright. It was a beautiful day to help others. And thats just what Stonebriar residents and community members did Sept. 17. From 9 a.m. to noon cars pulled up to the Stonebriar Pavilion and kids and adults unloaded bags of first-aid supplies, clothing, diapers, cleaning supplies and non-perishable food. Three trucks and a trailer were loaded down with donations for The Real Life Center in Tyrone. The nonprofit agency is a ministry of Dogwood Church and is serving victims of Katrina that are now in Fayette county. Kids of all ages dropped quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies in a basket to jump in an inflatable castle donated by Awesome Adventures. They also made a donation to have their face painted by volunteer Taz Wingo. Together, the children raised more than $75. Mountains of muffins, cookies, brownies and cakes were under the Stonebriar Pavilion, but there was not a price sticker in sight. Patrons simply made a donation and made a selection from three tables of donated homemade treats. Some also tried their luck and bought raffle tickets for prizes donated by Longaberger Consultant Heidi Meyer, Southern Living Consultant Angel Wellborn, Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry Consultant Leslie Meyer, Arbonne Skincare Consultant Leah Keith, McCollough Landscaping, Simply Tasteful Cakes and Moore Custom Creations. Combined with gift cards, the raffle and bakesale raised about $665. All monies were donated to the Fayette County Department of Family and Childrens Services, the first place where hurricane victims go for help. Some wonderful people donated their time and helped with the event before and on the day of. A big thank you to Angel Wellborn, Lois Evans, Ali Roland, Lori Walters, Heidi Meyer, Tammy Wingo, Jenny Meyers, Amber Meyer, Jeff Moore and Sarah and John Mark Dietle. Thanks to all who took part. Food bank needs urgent help Fayette Samaritans, one of the main food banks serving Fayette County, has seen its supply of food and other items greatly depleted in the past few weeks. Companies that normally provide the Samaritans with food have been instructed to divert the food to victims of the hurricane, said Charlie Charping, administrator of the all-volunteer Fayette Samaritans. Monetary donations are crucial at times like these, so the Samaritans can buy food thats lacking on their shelves, Charping said. Checks can be made out to Fayette Samaritans and sent to P.O. Box 1071, Fayetteville, Ga., 30214. The agency is open at 126 Hickory Road, just south of New Hope Road at the rear of the Fayetteville Christian Church campus. Food donations can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. The Samaritans have a special need for the following items: Peanut butter and jelly, canned meat and tuna, canned fruit, beans and rice, pasta and sauce, fruit juices, personal care products, new packages of mens underwear and of course, cash donations to help buy necessary food and products that arent donated. Only 1.4 percent of the Samaritans budget is dedicated to expenses such as utilities, Charping said. And local stores partner with the Samaritans so they can stretch the dollars used to purchase food, typically ground beef, ground turkey and chicken that arent normally donated, he added. Fayette chamber provides resources for job seekers Over the last few months, Fayette County has been affected with many economic hardships that have impacted local residents. Most recently with families moving here from the Gulf Coast, but we have also experienced layoffs at Delta and Photocircuits. In addition, two military bases will close in the next year or two, possible causing more layoffs. In an effort to help those affected, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Fayette County Development Authority have partnered together to provide local residents with job seeking resources. Please keep in mind that both organizations are not job placement agencies. The purpose of this information is to provide as many resources as possible for Fayette County residents. Job searchers can find information about staffing companies, local job fairs and the Georgia Department of Labor on both organizations websites at www.fayettechamber.org and www.fayettega.org. The Fayette County Development Authority will also post local job openings and resumes. If you have a job available that you would like to post, please contact Amanda Fields with the Fayette County Development Authority at 770-461-5253. Those looking for work can send a resume or description of job skills to also be posted on the Web site. This site is in progress, so please check often for updates. Bookbags, school supplies needed The newest need for families who have moved here fleeing hurricane damage in the gulf states is for bookbags and school supplies. Because of the volume of families still registering, there is still a significant need for gift cards and gift certificates to pay for food, medicine, clothing and gas, officials said. The school supplies will be necessary as many families who have fled the destruction of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama will be staying here for some time and their children will enroll in Fayette County schools. Both gift cards/certificates and bookbags with school supplies can be dropped off 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. Some 11 families will be able to move in to their own residences Tuesday thanks to a local church, and that number is expected to increase in coming days. Heritage Bank a collection point Heritage Bank at Towne Center, at 855 S. Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville, is offering its facility as a drop-off point for Katrina disaster relief items. Any items from school supplies to gift cards from local clothing stores will be appreciated. All items collected will be delivered to Fayette County DFACS for distribution. Contact Heritage Bank at 770-515-7088 for further information. OLM reaching out to victims In an effort to reach out to the suffering victims of Hurricane Katrina, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School has launched Operation Katrina. So far, over $3,000 has been raised through dress-down days, bake sales, Mercy spirit bags, concession sales, a powder puff football game and other collections surrounding homecoming events. In addition, 17 students from Catholic schools in the Gulf Coast area have begun school at Our Lady of Mercy. Archbishop Wilton Gregory has waived tuition for these students. Textbooks have been loaned through the generosity of book supplier MBS Direct. Uniforms and other supplies are being subsidized by the school through a generous grant from the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia. Also, families are being assisted in their efforts to find housing and furnishings in the area. Used clothes are being accepted as well as non-perishable foods and toiletries. The school has been in contact with Archbishop Alfred Hughes of New Orleans to sponsor a school in the recovery process. It is hoped to have a mission trip to the affected area once the all-clear is given by state authorities. The school plans to continue its efforts in the days and months ahead. Anyone who wants to assist OLMs relief efforts can do so: By your spiritual support, offering prayers for the deceased, their families, the affected individuals as well as relief workers. By your financial support. Consider making a donation to a relief charity, such as Operation Katrina at Our Lady of Mercy. (Checks may be made payable to Our Lady of Mercy - Operation Katrina). By donations of clothes, toiletries and non-perishable foods. These can be brought to the school. In addition, the Red Cross is requesting childrens DVDs for shelters. By donations of furniture and household supplies. Call Fr. Paul Burke at 770-461-2202, Ext. 416 to make arrangements for delivery to the families. By donations of blood to your local Red Cross. Holy Trinity operating food pantry, thrift store The Holy Trinity Catholic Church family would like to extend its deepest condolences to those affected by Katrina and extenditssupport at this time in the way of food and clothing. Throughoutthe remaining month of Septemberthe Food Pantry hours will be 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Food Pantry is located in the Old Rectory, across the parking lot from the church (101 Walt Banks Road in Peachtree City). The churchs thrift store, Clothes Less Traveled, is at 216 Fulton Court and Huddleston Road.Volunteers are on hand to serve you Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The thrift store has received a great deal of donations and is in need of volunteers. It requires only three hours a month. Shifts are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call Ann Walker at 770-486-0060 if you can help. For more information, visit www.HolyTrinityPTC.org. Governor asks churches for help Governor Perdue asked faith-based organizations to designate a point-of-contact for the disaster relief effort and to provide their contact information to the state of Georgia by logging onto www.connections.org. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA), with the assistance of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, will coordinate with each point-of-contact to match offers of resources and volunteers with relief efforts that are currently underway. Governor Sonny Perdue and members of Georgias faith community announced today a statewide collaborative effort to provide long-term relief for displaced evacuees from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Faith-based partners will help us channel goodwill to where it can benefit the most. I encourage every local congregation to designate your point-of-contact and join this effort, said Governor Perdue. OM assisting with hurricane relief OM, an international Christian mission agency with its US office in Tyrone, is providing help following Hurricane Katrina. OM is working with churches linked to the organization but not affected by the storm, connecting them with churches and ministries which were affected. In addition, financial contributions are currently being used to help operate two shelters, and will be used for other needs as funds become available. OM is also exploring opportunities to send medical relief teams to the area. The agencys Katrina Relief Fund is assisting a church in Shreveport, La., and another in Birmingham, Ala., which have opened shelters and taken in evacuees. A church in the Atlanta metro area with an ongoing relationship with OM has been put in touch with a church in Slidell, La., and has a work team on the way to deliver supplies and help with clean-up efforts. OM would like to help affected churches regroup and get on their feet enough so they can reach out and help others in their local communities. OMs focus for relief help is usually outside the US, and the organization was and still is very involved in helping tsunami victims in South Asia. OM has nearly 4,100 workers in 110 nations, and the Tyrone office is home base for nearly 500 American adults serving with the ministry. Financial contributions to OM for hurricane relief can be made online at www.usa.om.org (online giving requires a minimum of $25) or by sending a check payable to OM and marked Katrina Hurricane Relief to P.O. Box 444, Tyrone, GA 30290. For questions regarding OMs involvement, please call 770-631-0432. Fairburn UMC asks for help Fairburn First Methodist Church needs noon-perishable food items, diapers, clothes, money, toiletries, books, toys and baby items for evacuees the church is helping. The church is located at 5 Washington Street, Fairburn, 770 964-3393. For more information, call Youth Director Debbie Jenkins at 404 277-9786. Born Again Bargains needs donations Born Again Bargains Thrift Store, Hudson Plaza in Fairburn,needs clothing, shoes, furniture, money, bedding, toiletries all kinds of household items and appliances in order to assist hurricane evacuees. For more information call 770 774-9050. Raffle to benefit Katrinas four-legged victims Wags to Whiskers Boutique & Barkery in Peachtree City is sponsoring a raffle to benefit the animal victims ofhurricane Katrina. Tickets are on sale now at the stores location at 100 North Peachtree Pkwy (behind Chick fil-A). First prize is 10 dozen freshly baked dog treats, and second prize is a free pet portrait session. Tickets are $3 each or two for $5. Drawing will be held at Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. You need not be present to win. All moneyraised from ticket sales will go to The Best Friends Animal Society. Wags to Whiskers is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. For more information contact the store at 770-486-4924. Donations needed in S. Fulton South Fulton Business & Empowerment Center, a ministry of Open Word Christian Ministries, needs food, money, toiletries, and housing for evacuees. The center is located at 6810 Shannon Parkway, Suite 1A, in Union City. It is in the small shopping center directly behind Arbys on SR 138 and directly adjacent to the IHOP parking lot. Contact assistant manager Barbara Stallings or CEO Marc Ellis at 770-964-5744 for more information. Homes available to shelter Katrina evacuees Relief Homes Georgia, an Internet-based registry intended to find temporary housing in the Georgia area for Hurricane Katrina evacuees from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, is now online and functioning. Located on the Internet at www.reliefhomesgeorgia.com and including a link to a Spanish version, the Web site was launched by a group of Atlanta-area IT and hospitality industry professionals in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help make a difference for evacuees relocating in this area. It is intended to serve as a bridge of communication between those who are in need and those who have resources to offer, and more information about the effort can be obtained by going to the Web site. Information about volunteer hosts which is posted on the Web site will be made available only to relief agencies and will not be released to the general public. The registration form includes places where volunteer hosts can give specific conditions under which they are willing to host, such as choosing the length of the time of stay, number of people, gender of guests, whether hosts are willing to accept children and pets, and other information. A Relief Homes Georgia spokesperson asked persons who have space for at least one person for one week, to register on the Web site by selecting the Register to Host button. Relief Homes Georgia will work with agencies such as the Hosea Feed the Hungry Foundation, Latin American Association, local churches, or other non-profit relief agencies to match the registered temporary housing hosts with families or individuals in need of temporary housing. Once a match is made, the providers of the temporary housing will be contacted by a volunteer from Relief Homes Georgia. The Relief Homes Georgia Web site contains a number of helpful links for those seeking more permanent housing, food stamps, school enrollment for children, employment, and appropriate medical care when necessary. The Latin American Association serving the Atlanta area is receiving donations of food and clothing that will be shared with people who take in evacuees. Relief Homes Georgia is also seeking additional volunteers to help with the program on a day-to-day basis, and contact information can be found on the Web site. Current sponsors include Visions USA Inc., SignUp4, and Jimmy Booth Public Relations. 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. Methodists need health kits, flood buckets North Fayette United Methodist Church and Hopewell UMC are collecting health kits and flood buckets for the Red Cross and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. 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 or to Hopewell UMC, 351 Jenkins Rd. For hours at Hopewell, call 770-306-7537. Fayetteville 1st UMC accepts donations First United Methodist Church in Fayetteville is 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 on at methodistrelief.org or by phone at 1-800-554-8583. McDonough Rd Baptist collects money McDonough Road Baptist Church is collecting funds which will be sent in total to the Georgia Baptist Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. For further information call 770-460-5423. 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 nonprofit 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 Web site in October. If you have questions, please call or e-mail us, and thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide. RESA begins school supplies project As a result of Hurricane Katrina, local schools will be experiencing an influx of students evacuated from the Gulf Coast region. These students will need basic school supplies to benefit from classroom instruction. The students and their families are living with only the minimal necessities of life. To facilitate their transition into local schools, the Griffin RESA wants to supply each evacuee student with the necessary school supplies. The following school supplies are needed: Crayons, highlighters, pencils, pens, colored pencils, glue, scissors, washable markers, loose leaf paper, spiral notebooks, erasers, protractors, rulers, pocket folders, 3x5 index cards, compasses, glue sticks, dividers, graph paper, Book bags, and marble composition books. Griffin Regional Educational Service Agency serves Butts, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson County schools. To donate school supplies, please bring them to the Griffin RESA office at 440 Tilney Avenue in Griffin. Landmark accepting displaced students Landmark Christian School is accepting admission applications from families displaced by Hurricane Katrina on a case-by-case basis. There are currently openings in all grades (K4-12) except 2nd, 6th, and 9th. Prospective applicants should contact Tammy McCurry, Director of Admission, at 770-306-0647 or tmccurry@landmark-cs.org to schedule an interview. Financial aid is also available to families displaced by the hurricane, on a case-by-case basis. Landmarks academic and behavioral standards for admission remain unchanged. 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 email to todd@isolditptc.com for more details or questions. Burger King to help provide jobs for evacuees Burger King Corporation has announced a program to source, recruit and hire displaced Burger King restaurant employees into new or existing jobs at Burger King restaurants in more than 13 cities nationwide, as well as hurricane evacuees in general. Franchise and company restaurants in cities with the highest concentration of displaced employees are participating in the Displaced Employee Assistance Program. These cities include Atlanta, Austin, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, Montgomery, Orlando, Pensacola, San Antonio, Savannah, Shreveport, Tampa and several others. The program was created solely in response to the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. As part of the program, displaced employees may be eligible to receive limited cash assistance to help with the transition. As we continue to re-open restaurants and support hurricane relief efforts within the Burger King system, we are also looking at various ways to provide immediate employment and financial resources to our employees who have been forced from their homes, said Clyde Rucker, senior vice president and head of the companys Disaster Recovery Team. Our first goal is to quickly and efficiently provide employment opportunities for as many displaced employees as possible and then provide any other opportunities to anyone displaced by the hurricane. Hundreds of jobs are currently available. Positions range from the crewmember level to the restaurant manager level. Displaced Burger King restaurant employees may call, toll-free, 877-BKC-4AID for job information in their area. Phone lines will be open from 8 a.m. EDT to 7 p.m. EDT (7 a.m. CT to 6 p.m. CT).This information is also posted on www.bk.com. Other aspects of the program include: Every effort to match displaced employees with their previous level of responsibility. Immediate employment in the cities they are currently residing. Positions may be full-time, part-time or temporary. As part of Burger King Corporations on-going relief efforts, the Company has sent several truckloads of supplies for its employees in the hardest hit areas, including nearly 45,000 bottles of water and stocks of non-perishable goods. Mississippi asks for livestock assistance Mississippis commissioner of agriculture is requesting assistance with livestock in his state following Hurricane Katrina. Commissioner Lester Spell said that the livestock industry in Mississippi needs the following barbed wire, t-posts, t-post clips, t-post drivers, water troughs, hay rings, electric fencing supplies, solar fence chargers, bagged livestock feed, poly wire, chains and chainsaws. Donations of the above items should be directed to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. The Department has storage, loading, and dispersal capabilities from the State Fairgrounds in Jackson and will be working with the Mississippi Cattlemens Association to dispense the donated supplies. Cash donations can be made payable to the Mississippi Cattlemens Foundation and mailed to 680 Monroe Street, Suite A, Jackson, MS 39202, to the attention of Sammy Blossom. I encourage anyone in Georgia who can provide a helping hand to do so, said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin. Ft. McPhersonhelping soldiers and families As the HurricaneKatrina relief effort continues, soldiers, family members of soldiers, retirees and family members of military retirees who need assistancecan phone Army Community Services at 404-464-4070 from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.Additional information may be found at www.mcpherson.army.mil. Fayette Relief Efforts To donate cash or gift cards, contact DFACS at 770-460-2555 (9-5, Monday through Friday) To donate food, toiletries, clothing or practical household items, or to organize a drive, contact Real Life Center, 770-631-9334 (rlc@reallifecenter.org) Monday through Thursday 9-12, also evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-7. Or contact Fayette Samaritans, 770-719-2707 (Monday - Friday 12-5) If you have available housing or would like information on housing, contact: Becky Smith, Executive Director of Fayette FACTOR, 404-291-1602 or bsmith719@bellsouth.net (Monday-Friday, 9-2). If you have an automobile you can donate, contact Real Life Center 770-631-9334 or rlc@reallifecenter.org (Monday-Thursday 9-12 and Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 5-7). Career assistance for families in need, contact: Cindy at Randstad 770-487-1446; Real Life Center, 770-631-9334 or rlc@reallifecenter.org (same hours as above). Other business contacts: Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, 770-461-9983 (Monday-Friday, 8-5); Brian Cordoza with the Fayette County Development Authority, 770-460-5730. Also The Citizen newspaper is donating free ads to persons in need of work. Call 770-719-1880 Monday-Friday, 8-6. To volunteer, please contact any of the above organizations. |
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