Help our Fellow Americans!

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

STATE OF CONNECTICUT
EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS
HARTFORD, CT 06106

M. Jodi Rell
Governor
State of Connecticut

August 31, 2005

Governor Rell Announces Coordinated Relief Effort
to Assist Hurricane Katrina Victims[/b][/size]

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced a coordinated Connecticut relief effort to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, including collection centers set up at state National Guard Armories where donations of bottled water, ready-to-eat food, batteries and other supplies will be received, and possible additional actions by state agencies.

“We are all horrified by the heartbreaking photos, video and news stories from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and many people have friends or family in the affected areas,” Governor Rell said. “In any event, I know the people of Connecticut care deeply and want to help in any way possible.

“I am placing calls to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Governor Bob Riley, and my office has been in contact with organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Americares – headquartered here in Connecticut – about the items needed most as the recovery begins.”

Six Armories have been designated as collection centers

• The Hartford Armory, at 360 Broad Street; the
• New Haven Armory at 209 Goffe Street; the
• New London Armory at 249 Bayonet Street;
• the Norwalk Armory at 290 New Canaan Avenue; the
• Putnam Armory at 25 Keech Street; and the
• Waterbury Armory at 64 Field Street.

The following commodities are needed:

• Bottled water;
• Easily opened, non-perishable food and snacks;
• Batteries;
• Blankets;
• Tarps and tents

MODIFIED BY GOV. RELL ON 9/3/2005 TO INCLUDE:

• Hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrushes,
• razors, soap, shampoo, etc.)
• Towels & washcloths
• Combs & brushes
• New socks (unopened packages)
• New underwear (unopened packages)

[/color]The Armories will be staffed by members of the Connecticut Army National Guard weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., beginning Thursday, September 1. THE HARTFORD ARMORY WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 7:00 PM.
Large or bulky donations (i.e., corporate donations) should be coordinated through Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cody at [phone].

Once the donations have been collected and sorted they will be shipped by air. Representatives of the air cargo industry at Bradley International Airport have assured the Governor’s Office that they will get the supplies to the affected area.

The Governor’s staff is also contacting representatives of in-state bottled water companies such as Crystal Rock, Nestle (bottler of Poland Spring), Coca-Cola (maker of Dasani), and Pepsi (maker of Aquafina).

Governor Rell will be meeting with key state agencies Wednesday afternoon to discuss possible additional state actions. Responding agencies include the Departments of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Public Health, Environmental Protection and Transportation.

The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is in contact with its sister states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assess the situation and needs of impacted states. Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are currently assessing the assistance they need. Once they articulate those needs, Connecticut stands ready to act.

EMAC establishes a mutual partnership with other states to provide aid and assistance in times of emergency. Once a state requests assistance through EMAC, the member states send personnel and equipment to help disaster relief efforts, augmenting the assistance already provided by the affected state and the federal government.

At the same time, Governor Rell continues to urge residents who are able to make financial contributions to charitable organizations such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Americares, which are able to make the most out of even relatively small donations through their bulk purchasing power.

To donate to the Red Cross, call (800) HELP NOW or [phone] (Spanish) or contribute online by visiting www.redcross.org .

To donate to the Salvation Army, call (800) SAL-ARMY or contribute online by visiting www.salvationarmyusa.org

To donate to Americares, call (800) 486-HELP or contribute online by visiting www.americares.org.[/color]

[morganika]

Thank God we're doing something, Lord knows that shrub of a president has done JACK.

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

[If you are reading this from the view "15 most recent p.o.s.t.s" option, please jump to this thread for more details, right now, by clicking on the nearly invisible, yellow link on orange background immediately above here to the right of TOPIC:


According to RaeAnn Palmer, assistant to the Town Manager, citizens have expressed the desire to donate tangible items to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, but wanted a more convenient site - locally - than having to drive to the armories listed in this thread.

The Offices of the Town Manager and Chief of Police have arranged to have the WPD (250 Silas Deane Highway) serve as our local collection point.

If you have any doubt about what to donate, consult the list in Gov. Rell's letter (above) and/or call one of the relief agencies listed in that letter for the latest needs and recommendations. Then bring those needed items to the WPD and put them in the trailor. [You will be observed via closed circuit TV by the WPD staff. If you have any problems or question, go inside (the lobby) and ask for more specific directions.)

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Governor Rell Seeks Volunteers
to Help at Armories
Announces New Hurricane Relief Needs

Governor M. Jodi Rell today (9.3.2005) called for volunteers to help the National Guard sort the outpouring of donations for Hurricane Katrina relief that is streaming into the six state Armories. The Governor also asked members of the public to remember that all of the Armories will be closed on Sunday (9/4/2005) and only the Hartford Armory will be open Monday (9/5/2005), and announced an updated list of needed supplies.

“Shipments of relief supplies from Connecticut are already on the way to the suffering people of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, and the generosity of the people of Connecticut shows no signs of abating,” Governor Rell said. “The response so far has been absolutely heartwarming – everything we could have hoped.

“What we need now are people to help us make sure that the shipments we send to the devastated area are loaded and structured properly – organized so that the disaster workers ‘on the ground’ can process the materiel efficiently and get it where it is needed most,” the Governor said. “As we know, the need for help in the storm-ravaged South will go on for months, perhaps years. We need the good-hearted people of this state to keep giving – of their time and energy as well as their goods and financial resources.”

Volunteers are needed at the State Armory in Hartford (360 Broad Street - just west of the Capitol) on Monday, September 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beginning Tuesday, September 6, volunteers are needed at all six Armories accepting relief supply donations – from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m*:

• State Armory in Hartford*; the
• New Haven Armory at 209 Goffe Street; the
• New London Armory at 249 Bayonet Street; the
• Norwalk Armory at 290 New Canaan Avenue; the
• Putnam Armory at 25 Keech Street; and the
• Waterbury Armory at 64 Field Street.

Governor Rell stressed that the six Armories will not be open on Sunday, September 4. Only the State Armory in Hartford will be open on Monday, Labor Day, September 5.

*Beginning Tuesday, September 6, all six Armories will reopen. Hours at the Armories will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except at the State Armory in Hartford, which will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

An updated list of needed supplies has been provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition to bottled water and easy-to-open, non-perishable food and snacks – the main items Governor Rell initially urged Connecticut residents to supply – FEMA has indicated there is a need for:

• Hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, soap, shampoo, etc.)
• Towels & washcloths
  Combs & brushes
• New socks (unopened packages)
• New underwear (unopened packages)

“Our residents continue to demonstrate an almost unbelievable desire to help in any way possible, and I know they will respond to this call,” Governor Rell said. “I am always proud to be the Governor of Connecticut, but seldom am I more proud than when I see the great people of this great state come together to help others in need.”

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2005

Governor Rell Says Friday 9/9/2005 is Last Day
for Hurricane Relief Drop-Offs at State Armories

COLLECTIONS AT THE WETHERSFIELD POLICE FACILITY
ARE ALSO ENDED TODAY, FRI. 9.9.05

“Second Phase” of Relief Effort to Begin Soon

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that Friday, September 9, will be the last day for residents to drop off donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort at state Armories and said a second phase of the relief effort will kick off soon.

“The response from thousands Connecticut residents has been overwhelming, and I cannot thank people enough for the way they have stepped up in so many ways to meet this challenge,” Governor Rell said. “We continue to load the food, water and other items into trucks and planes and send it all to the Gulf region.”

Food and water continue to be the primary needs at Armory drop-off points, and the Governor noted that used clothing is no longer needed.

Forty-one truckloads filled with relief supplies have so far left for the hurricane-devastated Gulf states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, and more than 1,000 pallets stacked with supplies are being loaded onto dozens of additional trucks. The Governor thanked Connecticut-based AmeriCares for supplying 15 trucks to help bring items to the Gulf region.

“Now that the national relief effort is fully underway, what we plan to do after Friday is wait for direction from the gulf states as to what their long-term needs will be,” Governor Rell said. “We will then unveil the second phase of our relief effort which will take into account those needs as well as the needs of evacuees who will be coming to Connecticut.”

This week, Governor Rell announced that the Connecticut will help 1,500 people relocate here from areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, coordinating food assistance, health coverage, housing, cash assistance and other services while providing a central point for information and referral through 2-1-1 Infoline.

The Governor added that while State Armories will no longer be receiving donations after Friday, there is no reason for local relief efforts to be discontinued.

"I know that many schools and religious organizations, for example, have begun their own relief efforts, and I ask them to please continue with those efforts even though Friday is the last day for collections at Armories. Your financial collections can still be sent to groups like the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, and the Salvation Army. Your collections of food and water can also be stored until we announce the second phase of our state relief effort.”

This week, Governor Rell and the Connecticut Association of Schools announced a special hurricane relief fund-raising appeal directed at Connecticut school children and their parents, encouraging them to contribute small change and checks of any size to be used specifically for school-related expenses. The Governor’s office has set up a special account through the Bank of America in Connecticut. The bank will also accept coins and sort and roll them at no charge.

Armories open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. TODAY 9.9.05 are: the New Haven Armory at 209 Goffe Street; the New London Armory at 249 Bayonet Street; the Norwalk Armory at 290 New Canaan Avenue; the Putnam Armory at 25 Keech Street; and the Waterbury Armory at 64 Field Street. The State Armory on Broad Street in Hartford will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday.

The Governor thanked the Connecticut National Guard for the extraordinary effort it has put forth in coordinating the first phase of the relief effort.

Content Last Modified on 9/8/2005 3:03:24 PM

[townfan]

Let's be generous and open our hearts and wallets. It's not the time for bashing, it's time for giving.

The Red Cross is great, as well as faith-based charities, for getting the help to those who need as quickly as possible.

Dare I say that our national natural disaster relief be outsourced to the Red Cross? They would have certainly done a better job than the local and state (democratic) leadership in Louisiana. FEMA's to bloated to be effective. Let's also not forget that the president, who is personally being unfairly bashed, did call the Louisiana governor two days before the storm hit and recommended a mandatory evacuation of the city of New Orleans.

Sorry, I broke my own bashing rule. Please give with an open heart!!

[SyZyGy]

From the
New York Times - today: September 10, 2005

Casualty of Firestorm: Outrage, Bush and FEMA Chief
By Elizabeth Bumiller
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 - To Democrats, Republicans, local officials and Hurricane Katrina's victims, the question was not why, but what took so long?

Republicans had been pressing the White House for days to fire "Brownie," Michael D. Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who had stunned many television viewers in admitting that he did not know until 24 hours after the first news reports that there was a swelling crowd of 25,000 people desperate for food and water at the New Orleans convention center.

Mr. Brown, who was removed from his Gulf Coast duties on Friday, though not from his post as FEMA's chief, is the first casualty of the political furor generated by the government's faltering response to the hurricane. With Democrats and Republicans caustically criticizing the performance of his agency, and with the White House under increasing attack for populating FEMA's top ranks with politically connected officials who lack disaster relief experience, Mr. Brown had become a symbol of President Bush's own hesitant response.

The president, long reluctant to fire subordinates, came to a belated recognition that his administration was in trouble for the way it had dealt with the disaster, many of his supporters say. One moment of realization occurred on Thursday of last week when an aide carried a news agency report from New Orleans into the Oval Office for him to see........

I heartily disagree with your characterization: "the president, who is personally being unfairly bashed". He is the President; he is the Commander in Chief; he is the chief political operative in his administration (I am being very generous here.) And there is plenty of opportunity to spread a LOT of blame around and WHY NOT! A lot of high placed people, elected and appointed, screwed-up royally! Come on; tell it like it IS. And NOW the feeding frenzy is already underway (see another article in today's NYT), by the mega-corps {can you say Halliburton} are rushing to grab as much of the nearly unfettered money from the currently $62 billion allocated for the rescue, rebuilding and probably restoration of that whole area of the delta - where this kind of disaster (especially in New Orleans) was bound to happen (can you say San Andrea Fault too).

Remember the Red Cross response to 9/11/01? Let them do what they can, but I personally wouldn't want the ARC heading the overall project to rescue and repair - Wal.Mart maybe, but not the ARC. As far as faith-based charities, what, like Pat (the hit-man) Robertson's group? Keep it secular in the large scale; let the sects provide local help as they can.

The dysfunctional response to the impending and impacting disaster of Katrina smacks of a possible cabal to disperse the riff raff of New Orleans to the far corners of the US, so that the those on high ground, with deep pockets and deeper political connections will stand to benefit from this whole thing in the short and long run. Just remember what the demographics of New Orleans is/was. I hate to say it, I really hate to say it but Jessie Jackson (T.Rev.) might be right (this time).

Whew! I feel better now. Oh, by the way, thanks for joining the fray here on Bill's forum.

[morganika]

Amen Syzygy, as usual so eloquently put. Everything I would have wanted to say but lack the grace.

[townfan]

The people of New orleans were first let down by the politicians and party leadership they have been supporting for the last 50 years.

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

September 3, 2006:
We all know that matters in Louisiana and Mississippi due to last year's Hurricane Katrina are still unbelievably poor for the vast majority of the people directly affected by it. I have posted the following at another site too. One of our own, Donna Hemmann, former Councilor and BOE member / chair knows the dire straights which school nurses and their charges are now, a year later, facing with the start of schools in Louisiana. Just as we helped support Gov. Rell's call and program to aid Katrina victims a year ago, and the container to Iraq for our GI's effort earlier this year, it is time for us to renew our commitment to our fellow Americans:

Wethersfielders!
The Gov. Rell Calls Upon YOU!
to Again Help Gulf School Children

School Nurses Need Supplies
A Year After Katrina!

Though Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana a year ago, school children there returning to classes continue to suffer its consequences.

Supplies needed by their school nurses are absent or severely inadequate.

On August 28, CT Governor M. Jodi Rell called upon citizens of the state to collect supplies for school nurses’ offices in Louisiana.

Former Wethersfield Board of Education and Town Council member Donna Hemmann heard the Governor's call and instinctively responded.

Hemmann, a Registered Nurse, has also worked as a School Nurse. She knows that school nurses are often the first line for medical care for school age children.

She also knows that school nurses need a wide range of supplies to provide that care.

Hemmann, a Health Care Manager for Aetna, Inc., calls upon her fellow Wethersfielders to "pick up a couple of extra items when you are shopping this week and next".

Residents may conveniently drop off the needed items on her front porch at her home, 315 Garden Street, Wethersfield, any time, on or before Wednesday, September 6. On that date, she will take all donated supplies to the State Armory.

Or, people may take them directly to the State Armory, 360 Broad Street, Hartford, 7 AM - 7 PM, on or before September 8.

Among the items needed are new, unopened packages of: 'Band-aids'; calamine lotion; cotton balls; dental floss; sterile and unsterile gauze pads (2x2 & 4x4), rolled gauze (2", 3", 4"); 'Kleenex' pkgs; 'Ace' elastic bandages (2", 3" or 4"), latex or vinyl exam gloves; 'Q-tips'; pump hand soap; medical adhesive tape; thermometers; tongue depressors; tweezers; 'Clorox' wipes; flashlights with new batteries; and, Hemman adds, items to track student visits: 4x6" lined file cards, their index cards and file boxes.

Hemmann knows that she can "count on the generosity of fellow Wethersfielders." Speaking from her school nursing and professional experiences, "these items are sorely needed and will be warmly received."

[SyZyGy]

Hey, Doc!
Need more sleep, Doc?
Try "dire straits".
Sy