Fayette County Chamber and Development Authority provide employment resources

Fayetteville 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, possibly causing more layoffs.

In an effort to reach out to the 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, powder puff football game and other collections surrounding homecoming events.
In addition, seventeen 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 our 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. We have been in contact with Archbishop Alfred Hughes of New Orleans to sponsor a school in the recovery process. The school hopes to have a mission trip to the affected area once the all-clear is given by state authorities.

A job fair for victims of Hurricane Katrina living in the area will be held at the Merle Manders Conference Center in Henry County Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As of early Friday afternoon, 35 companies have signed up and more are being added up to a maximum of 50. Some are coming prepared to hire employees on the spot if an interview can be conducted.
To reach the conference center, take Ga. Highway 138 to Stockbridge and turn right onto North Henry Boulevard. Take a left onto Burke Street and there will be signs directing motorists to the job fair.

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.

The American Red Cross and Planet Smoothie are teaming up to encourage everyone to give blood. From Sept. 12-26, all platelet and blood donor participants at all blood drives and donor centers in metro Atlanta and Athens will receive a coupon fro a Free 22 oz. smoothie from Planet Smoothie while supplies last.
Most healthy people are age 17 and older, who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood every 56 days or platelets every two weeks, up to 24 times each year. The American Red Cross Blood Services Southern region needs at least 1,200 people to donate each weekday just to meet the needs of hospital patients.

To post items here, email relief@thecitizen.com.

Fayette Relief Efforts

To donate cash or gift cards, contact DFACS at 770-460-2555 (9-5, Monday through Friday)

Fayette Samaritans, one of the main food banks serving Fayette County, was down to a two to three day supply of food for local needy families and refugees from Hurricane Katrina Wednesday morning.
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 Samaritans.
Money 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. Contributions are fully tax deductible because the charity is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

As of late Wednesday night, the number of families in Fayette County who escaped areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina has risen to 289.
Some 60 of those families need housing, and the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services is coordinating that and other assistance to the families, many of whom may not be able to go home for months because of the damage. That is the largest need for the families right now.

Unrestricted Ryders Motorcycle Club and Personal Touch Mobile Detailers are sponsoring a car/bike wash to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Cycle Specialty in Fayetteville.

The five Fayette County investment representatives for the St. louis based financial services firm Edward Jones recently announced that their firm has donated $250,000 to the American red Cross to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina that devastated the Gulf Coast.

Family Dollar Associates who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina should call Family Dollar's home office for information.

The students at Landmark Christian School have a goal to collect $5,000 to offer releif to the victims of Hurrciane Katrina. The school is partnering with City of Refuge, a nonprofit charitable organization headed up by Landmark parent Bruce Deel.

Girl Scout Troop 511 of the Georgia Pine Valley Council will be hosting a relief effort for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The drive will take place in the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby in Fayetteville from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.

Hurricane Katrina
Here's how you can help!

In an effort to reach the many victims of Hurricane Katrina in an efficient and compassionate manner, the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services will serve as the clearing point for all victims seeking assistance within the Fayette County community.
DFACS is coordinating care for the victims through several local resources. For those in the community who would like to help, here is a list of contacts and resources networking with DFACS to benefit the local relief effort. Local citizens are encouraged to donate food, clothing and even automobiles through the following agencies:

Angel flights take off from PTC to aid victims

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizen.com

It was a case of angels with fixed wings. Members of the Peachtree City chapter of Angel Flight of Georgia took to the skies Sunday afternoon bound for Poplarville, Mississippi, to deliver much-needed supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Thousands of dollars of donated food and other essential supplies took to the skies in a squadron of four private planes from Falcon Field in Peachtree City.

To members of the church community in the Fayette, Coweta and South Fulton areas:
The Citizen Newspapers is providing an information clearing house for hurricane relief efforts in this geographic area.

Fill up this truck in PTC for hurricane victims

Heres an immediate opportunity for outreach to Mississippi victims of Hurricane Katrina.
A 53-foot tractor-trailer is currently [Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT] being loaded in the parking lot of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Walt Banks Road next to McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, with supplies for residents of Ocean Springs, Miss.
A near-army of folks are collecting, sorting and boxing supplies for peoples' immediate, everyday needs.

Salvation Army desperate for canned goods and hygiene items
Organization accepting donated items at 5 metro Atlanta sites beginning [Sunday, Sept. 4].
WHO: The Salvation Army
WHAT: Drop-off sites for canned goods and personal hygiene items (twin blankets and sheets, pillows, towels, shampoo, soap, razors, shaving cream, toothbrush, toothpaste, brushes/combs, Q-tips, Band-Aids/antibiotic ointment, baby food, bottles, diapers, baby wipes)

Fayette relief effort
posted Friday, Sept. 2, 2005
4pm

Report on Town Hall meeting Thursday night

There was a wonderful representation of churches and social service organizations at the meeting tonight! Some things that have been established:
DFCS will be the point of contact for those needing help and those available to give help until further plans can be made
Monetary donations can be made to DFCS and it will be put into a special fund for Relief

Georgias Response to Hurricane Katrina
As of September 2, 2005

Governor Sonny Perdue has mobilized the Georgia National Guard and several state agencies, led by OHS-GEMA, to help provide disaster relief assistance to the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and the evacuees from those states. The Governor has taken steps to ensure gas supply to all Georgians and to prohibit price gouging on motor fuel. He has asked President Bush for federal assistance to help with incoming evacuees. In response to the tornadoes that impacted Peach and Carroll County, the Governor has asked for and SBA disaster declaration that will provide for small business loans to those affected.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

I sincerely hope that our State Attorney General is going to look into the extremely sharp price increases of fuel by local retailers. There is no way that the fuel in the tanks at local retail sites has increased by 80 cents in value in a matter of hours because of the hurricane.

The situation certainly has the feel of price gouging and is reminiscent of the extortion imposed from Florida lumber and hardware dealers during Hurricane Andrew.

2:00 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Gov. Perdue has indicated that the effect on Georgias gas supply should be short term. However, we are researching state education law and policy to see what relief can be provided to local systems should this problem go longer than expected.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

ATLANTA - Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said Aug. 31 that he would start the paperwork to allow Georgia to switch to higher vapor pressure gasoline 15 days early so the way will be cleared for any action needed by other state and federal agencies to prevent disruption of supplies caused from Hurricane Katrina.

Commissioner Irvin, as the states chief fuel inspector, issued an emergency rule change permitting the higher vapor pressure gasoline to be sold starting Thursday, Sept. 1 instead of Sept. 16.

5:30 p.m. - Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005

A number of gas stations in Peachtree City had already run out of gas by early Wednesday afternoon as long lines at the pumps caused some motorists to have short fuses.

The Flash Foods at the intersection of Crosstown Road and Ga. Highway 74 had traffic backed up all the way to the Wendys restaurant next door as many vehicles waited for access to one of the stations six pumps. Tempers flared at one point, with some motorists shouting at each other.

10:46 a.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Georgias two gas pipelines are running at 25 percent capacity as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning, according to state officials.

Also, Georgia is getting more gas shipments via tanker truck than before Hurricane Katrina wrought its devastation on oil refineries in Louisiana. Gov. Sonny Perdue convinced the federal Environmental Protection Agency to allow gas trucks to travel in Georgia 24 hours a day, according to a spokesperson.

By CAL BEVERLY
editor@TheCitizenNews.com

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of nervous drivers formed lines at dozens of gas pumps in Fayetteville and other stations in Fayette County Wednesday afternoon in the bright sunshine as jitters about gas availability began to spread through the entire metro area.

With major gasoline pipe lines running dry in the wake of Hurricane Katrinas destruction along the Gulf Coast, some gas stations began to ration their sales to keep from running out.

State officials are anticipating difficulty receiving gasoline deliveries statewide due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is waiving state requirements for cleaner-burning gasoline to be sold over the summer months. The waiver will last until Thursday, Sept. 15.

Officials said the waiver will allow gas suppliers to bring available gas into the state to help alleviate shortages and keep prices to a minimum.

Peachtree City employees are curbing their vehicle use in light of an impending gas delivery problem throughout the state.

Meanwhile, Mayor Steve Brown is encouraging citizens to use their electric-powered golf carts to go anywhere necessary. He used his golf cart to pick up his kids from school and do grocery shopping Wednesday afternoon.

The citys gas tanks can only hold a two-week supply, and the citys gas supplier has already informed officials that the next delivery will be short of the citys usual delivery, Brown said.

12:30 - Friday, September 2

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayette residents will save about 15 cents to the gallon on gas through the end of the month thanks to Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Effective Friday night, Perdue placed a moratorium on the collection of all motor vehicle fuel and sales taxes due to the higher gas prices brought on by the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

11:00 - Friday, September 2

The number of families who have fled to Fayette County from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina has doubled since yesterday, officials said.

There are now more than 40 families, and perhaps many more who have not yet sought assistance from the Fayette County Department of Family and Children Services.

The most immediate need for the families is food, shelter and clothing. DFCS needs gift cards and gift certificates to local grocery and clothing stores in addition to cash donations. Small businesses are also encouraged to provide gift certificates if they can.