Hurricane Katrina Documentary (Click on the hurricane above)
Welcome to bgordon.org.
Hurricane Rita Information
Hurricane
Katrina Documentary (Click on the hurricane above)
Links to finding survivors, loved ones, and friends....
Mississippi:
Forums from The Sun Herald - South Mississippi's
Newspaper
Missing
Persons
I'm OK
New Orleans: (from NOLA.com)
Missing
Persons database (searchable)
Missing
Persons Forum (searchable)
I'm OK Forum
All:
ICRC (Red Cross)
FirstGov (Many links to locator sites)
www.findkatrina.com
CNN Safe List
Katrina Survivors
MSNBC Re-Connect
Gulf Coast New
Hurricane Katrina - Refugee Connect.
Craigs List has
several resources for cities that have been affected.
The Weather
Channel has a board set up with cities in both La. and MS. for people
to post conditions and help on locating family members.
New
Orleans' Times-Picayune has several links on the right hand side of the page
for finding people and pets.
The Baton
Rouge Chamber of Commerce has launched a Web site to help
New Orleans employers and employees contact each other.
For information about hotel
guests and employees in the New Orleans area, call 1-866-211-4610.
All Marriott and Ritz-Carlton employees from the area are asked to make contact.
Pets:
The Humane Society has links on the left (at the bottom)
for helping you locate your lost pet
Pet Rescue Forum (at NOLA.com)
Volunteer opportunities:
American Red Cross
The Salvation Army
How To Volunteer as a Senior
Donations:
United Way
Red Cross
Salvation Army
The Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund
If you live in the Philadelphia area, PROJECT
BROTHERLY LOVE is looking for you. They have ways for you to donate as well
as volunteer.
General Information about New Orleans:
NOLA.com provides news and information about the New Orleans communities and
what happening in them.
The Sun Herald - South Mississippi's News source fro latest infomation about
the communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Housing offers:
FEMA has set up a hot line for Hurricane Katrina refugees looking for shelter. The number is 888-312-4567. People looking to volunteer also may call to get assignments. The service is a joint effort of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas radio markets. Calls will be answered by 26 information and referral agencies.
Operation: Share Your Home is an organization founded in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit. Its purpose is to match people willing to share their homes with evacuees who need temporary shelter. Visit the Web site or call 1-888-827-2525 for information. The nonprofit organization is getting calls from all over the United States and Canada. While calls are steady, its phone lines are not jammed "like we would like for them to be," said volunteer Erica Adams said.
MoveOn.org Civic Action: Evacuees can search for free housing on the MoveOn.org Civic Action's Web site.
KatrinaHousing.org: Search for housing offers in this new database.
For information about what roads are passable in Louisiana, you can call the State Police Road Closure Hot Line at 1-800-469-4828 or click on www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/evacinfo/rdclosureindex.htm.
To find out about conditions in your home parish, you can find a listing of homeland security and emergency preparedness offices and telephone numbers at www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/Parish/parishoepnumbers.htm.
Social Security checks:Anyone receiving Social Security payments that have been interrupted by Hurricane Katrina can go to any Social Security office to get an emergency payment. For information about changing mailing addresses, direct deposit, or locating the nearest Social Security office, call 1-800-772-1213 or go online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency/.
Houston area services:
Shelters:
The American Red Cross of Greater Houston has been opening new shelters daily. Check the latest openings: Latest list of local Red Cross shelters here. The hot line number is 866-GET-INFO.
The Star of Hope homeless
shelter will keep its facilities open all night and day to feed and house
Katrina victims. The locations: The Women & Family Emergency Shelter,
419 Dowling (713-222-2220); The Men's Development Center, 1811 Ruiz (713-227-8900).
Catholic Charities is
providing assistance to displaced persons by getting them to shelters immediately. For
those in transit from the disaster area (i.e., traveling to stay with relatives,
etc.) Catholic Charities is assisting families with one or two nights' stay
and providing them funds for food, gas, or transportation to their destination.
Catholic
Charities is also coordinating with other agencies to find longer-term shelter
for those with no relatives to go to as well as providing food to these people.
2900 Louisiana St., Houston, 713-526-4611, info@catholiccharities.org
Kingwood
Methodist Church,
1799 Woodland Hills Drive, Kingwood. Phone: 281-358-2137.
Three meals a day,
children's activities, gym and free haircuts.
The Salvation Army East
Harris County has opened a shelter at 2732 Cherrybrook, in Pasadena. Phone:
713-378-0020.
Housing:
Harris County Housing Authority has secured more than 500 Houston-area apartments for evacuees from Louisiana currently receiving HUD section 8 housing choice vouchers. Those who meet criteria can qualify for the housing by visiting the authority's office at 8410 Lantern Point 8 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday for those 55 and older; and 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday for all others. For information, call 713-578-2150.
Houston Chronicle forum: Meet Houston-area residents offering temporary shelter in their homes.
Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, 6221 Main Street near the Texas Medical Center, will serve dinner 6-7:30 p.m. daily for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Palmer will continue this service each night until further notice. In addition, there will be games, fellowship, pastoral care and more. For more information, please call 713-529-6196.
Free meals 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry Food Pantry, 425 Stafford Run, Stafford.
Free meals available 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.; sack lunches available any time at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, 2407 N. Main, Houston, 713-224-2875.
Free meals available 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.; sack lunches available any time at the Salvation Army Montgomery County Corps Community Center, 304 Avenue E, Conroe. 936-760-2440.
Free dinner 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Deer Park First Baptist Church, 438 East 8th.
Copperfield Church, 8350 Texas 6 North. For food and shelter availability, call 281-856-2273.
Kosher meals from the Chabad Lubavich Center, 10900 Fondren; 713-777-2000 or relief@chabadtexas.org.
Vegetarian food is available to evacuees through BAPS Care International. Contact BAPS, 1150 Brand Lane, Stafford, 77477; or call Vikram Patel at 832-515-5645 or 281-499-7974 Ext. 102; or send an e-mail to vikram.patel@shell.com.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, North Channel Assistance Ministries, 13837½ Bonham.
8 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, St. Peter Claver, 6005 N. Wayside.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Langston Family Life Center, 2814 Quitman.
Children's Services:
Catholic Charities is working with officials from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to help foster care children in crisis situations and pairing them with suitable foster care parents throughout the Houston area. 2900 Louisiana St., Houston, 713-526-4611, info@catholiccharities.org
Schools:
Temporary school enrollment: For assistance in identifying the closest school to your location, call 713-892-6699 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students living in temporary living arrangements because of loss of housing will most likely qualify as "homeless" students and may enroll in the school district where they are physically present without proof of residence. Parents temporarily housed within HISD's borders can go to the school nearest their temporary residence to enroll their school-age children.
Houston Baptist University is striving to accommodate displaced students. Fall registration is under way. Classes begin Tuesday. Registration will continue through next week. Application and late fees have been waived. Phone: 281-649-3475.
Libraries:
Temporary Houston Public Library cards are available at no charge for Hurricane Katrina evacuees with valid Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama identification. All Houston Public Library locations offer free use of computers and access to the Internet. A library card is not necessary to access these services. Many other services available, including free copies and printouts. Call 832-393-1313 for more information. The libraries are closed on Sundays. They are also closed on Labor Day.
Jobs:
The Greater Houston Partnership, the region's primary business advocate, is assisting with efforts to help survivors rebuild their businesses, their community and their lives. This Web site, http://www.houstonhurricaneaid.org/ is dedicated to offering updated information about where to go and who to call for help."
Fellowship of The Woodlands' Job Support Ministry's Web site lists job openings in the Houston area. Also offered: resume writing, interviewing techniques and job leads. More job ministries.
Roundup of Katrina news releases: Businesswire.com has created this portal site with the latest Hurricane Katrina-related news releases, some of which may prove helpful to evacuees. http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/katrina/
United Parcel Service has set up employee toll free hot lines to assist the more than 2,000 UPS employees struck by Hurricane Katrina. Employees in Louisiana can call 1-866-260-7545, and in Mississippi 1-866-876-0964 to get assistance with questions about their work center, paychecks and other helpful information. General information about UPS Hurricane Relief efforts and how employees can help is available at UPS.com or UPSers.com.
Some Chase and Bank One branches in the Houston area will be open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Labor Day to assist customers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Locations are in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas.
Houston SPCA, 900 Portway, will provide pet housing if you are in a shelter that prohibits pets. Free bags of cat and dog food are available for evacuees staying with family members or in hotels. Bring a Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama ID to the SPCA.
Animal Emergency Clinic SE, 10031 Gulf Freeway, is open 24 hours until Tuesday for pet emergencies; 713-941-8460.
Ask Your Nurse: Talk to a registered nurse on this hot line sponsored by the Harris County Hospital District; 713-633-2255.
Prescriptions: Hurricane victims can renew their prescriptions for 30 days without approval from their doctors at CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies. Bring your pill bottle if you have it. Pharmacists have the discretion to give a refill for a fewer number of days at a discount or, in some cases, at no cost.
Immunization information for evacuees: Immunization administration fees are assessed on a sliding scale. Individual fee assessments will be made on a case-by-case basis. For additional information call the Immunization Bureau at 713-794-9267.
Elder Care Consultants: Free services to help elderly victims of Hurricane Katrina find a licensed care facility. Call 281-830-7461.
University of Houston College of Optometry: Offering discounted eye glasses and eye care to Hurrican Katrina evacuees. Patients who show valid ID from Louisiana or Mississippi will receive a 70% discount for eye exams and will be offered new glasses at cost. Patients without insurance or money will receive professional services at no charge. Contact the University Eye Institute on the UH campus in the J. Armistead Building or call 713-743-2020.
WIC: Four Women, Infant and Children clinics will be open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday to provide food vouchers to pregnant and nursing women and to children with nutrition problems: 4605 Wilmington, 11430 I-10 East, 8536 Hammerly, 6121 Hillcroft.
The Palmer Drug Abuse Program: PDAP will offer free 12-step support group meetings for adolescents and young adults, ages 12-25, and their parents. For meeting locations and times, go to www.pdaphouston.org or contact Jean McMillan at 281-589-4832 or 713-858-6703.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association has implemented an emergency action plan for evacuees with MD-associated diseases. Services include emergency repairs of wheelchairs and leg braces, and loans of crucial assistive equipment, which may include wheelchairs, mechanical lifts, communication devices and hospital beds. Those displaced by the hurricane also will have access to MDA clinics and MDA/ALS centers in their temporary locations. For information call 1-800-572-1717 and you will be automatically connected with the nearest MDA office. Callers in shelters should use land-line phones beginning with the local area code, rather than cell phones beginning with their home area codes, to ensure their calls are routed properly.
Humana insurance: The company has provided a one-month grace period for the payment of premiums by individuals or businesses from the affected areas that have commercial or Medicare plans. To find a doctor, 866-427-7478 or www.humana.com.
HIV/AIDS: AIDS Foundation Houston will provide housing and placement assistance for Hurricane Katrina victims living with HIV/AIDS. Call 713-623-6796, 8 a.m.-noon Monday, then 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
The Alzheimer's Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter is offering its services to evacuees from Louisiana with family members with dementia. Services include information, referrals,consultations, and financial assistance to families. For information, call 713-266-6400.
Birth control: Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas is offering either a free one-month cycle of birth control pills or one emergency contraceptive kit to those with an Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana driver's license, through Sept. 10; 1-800-230-7526.
If there are links you would like added to this list, please e-mail me the link and I will add them ASAP.
Lastly... The video at the top of the page has generated more traffic than
I have ever seen. As a result, My monthly badwidth has been exceeded (by almost
triple) and the site is now costing me more than I can afford to maintain
it. Some may ask, "Why are you doing this if it's costing you money?"
Well, I'm
an unemployed pipeliner that has worked in the southern Louisana and southern
Mississippi area for the last 22 years. I have friends that I have made in
and all around the area that has been hit hardest by Katrina. If you feel like
donating to keep the site open and to keep this video playing for all
to
see,
please
use this
link,