01 September 2005
An amazing Good Samaritan story
Banjo Jones has another must-read post:
A Good Samaritan in Brazosport has leased 17 homes for refugees from Hurricane Katrina.
They began arriving in vans from Houston about 3 o'clock this morning.
There are 84 children of various ages. Most heads of families are single mothers.
All are dirty, exhausted, dazed and very likely in shock. They've had little, if any, sleep for the past three days. They either waded or swam through the floodwaters to survive. All are appreciative of the helping hands that have been extended.
One boy, about 9, took a look at the home he was taken to this morning and asked, "How many families are going to be staying here with us."
When he was told, "It's just for you and your family," his eyes grew wide as he looked around the house. All he could do is look to his mom in disbelief.
[snip]
As much as I'd like to trumpet the name of the Good Samaritan who's leased these homes, that will not be done. The Good Samaritan has insisted on anonymity and I have agreed.
The Good Samaritan, however, agreed to talk to The Brazosport News in hopes that we could get the word out to anyone who wants to help.
[snip]
Since this local endeavor to help just came to my attention this morning, the Good Samaritan asked The Brazosport News to act as sort of a quasi-clearing house to enable those who want to help to do what they can.
If you want to help, send me an email to [email protected]
That's outstanding! And please read Banjo's entire post.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/01/05 12:13 PM |
Thursday morning Katrina links
Here are some local blogging and news highlights this morning:
Tom Kirkendall has two terrific posts up this morning, one about the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based out of New Orleans, and an in-depth post with thoughts about Katrina's aftermath.
Laurence Simon has many worthwhile posts and links. He is highlighting the Hurricane Katrina Blogger Relief Drive and he is encouraging readers to remember the pets and animals who desperately need help, by donating to the Humane Society. He also has a handy post that should help our new visitors understand Houston a bit better.
Yesterday's Spirit of Texas Fund Drive, put on by KHOU-11 and KTRH-740 raised $6.3 million. Wow!
KHOU-11 also has information on HISD and some Catholic schools that are opening their doors to refugee students.
And, of course, the Chronicle has complete news coverage, lists of links to give and get help, and the indispensable SciGuy blog.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/01/05 09:58 AM |
Liveblogging the Astrodome relief effort
David Benzion of the Lone Star Times has been liveblogging the relief activities as the Astrodome since last night.
In an early post, he listed the press-conference schedule. Presumably he'll have nearly instant updates from those press conferences.
It should be useful to visit Lone Star Times periodically for a blogger's account of the goings on at the Astrodome. We presume Benzion will also check in with occasional updates at affiliated radio station KSEV-700.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/01/05 08:59 AM |
31 August 2005
Hurricane Katrina: How Houston-area residents can help
The following local organizations will be helping hurricane refugees in the Houston area, and can use our help.
If you know of other local organizations that are helping out and could use help themselves, please send an email (bloggers @ bloghouston.net) or leave a comment in the forum. The Chronicle's SciGuy also has information on how to help here.
We'll continue to update this page as we get more information.
Thanks!
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and Society of St. Vincent de Paul
They are accepting food and material donations at various locations. Information on needed items can be found here. Monetary donations can be made via Catholic Charities USA.
Communities in Schools Houston
John Wagner points out that CIS is mobilizing to help refugee school children by providing free immunization shots, clothing, school supplies and food. Please read John's post for more details.
Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS)
Laurence Simon reports that EARS is looking for Houston-area residents who might be able to "adopt" a pet temporarily while their owners resettle (since many shelters will not allow pets). Follow the link for details.
Fellowship of the Woodlands
This large church has a page devoted to ways in which area residents can help the victims of Katrina.
Greater Houston Area Red Cross
They can use monetary donations, and of course blood. There's a list of locations to donate goods here.
Greater Houston Restaurant Association
If your restaurant is a member of this group, they have information on how you can help.
Harris County Citizen Corps
They need current members to assist with preparation of the Astrodome. The website has a link so you can become a volunteer.
Houston Food Bank
This invaluable local organization can always use a monetary donation, but they also list specific items that that can be donated for disaster relief.
Houston Independent School District
HISD is opening its doors and resources to provide schooling for displaced students. The district can use some help from the public and this link provides details.
Star of Hope Mission
This great local organization is going to be really taxed by this catastrophe. The linked page provides information on how to donate goods and money.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/31/05 06:19 PM |
Hurricane Katrina open thread
Due to the rapidly changing nature of news and events related to Hurricane Katrina and Houston, here's an open thread post. We will be adding updates as we run across them, and we are encouraging our commenters to add to it in the forum.
We are interested in local venues, attractions and entertainment that are offering free or discounted admission to stranded refugees, and also ways to help Houston-area refugees and relief agencies.
We'll start it off with a link to this KTRK-13 story that lists many entertainment options for displaced residents from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. For example, Thursday's UH game versus Oregon will be free at Reliant Stadium for stranded hurricane victims.
Also, KPRC-2 has more information on two new shelters that have opened.
And KHOU-11 has teamed up with KTRH-740 for a Hurricane Relief Fund Drive.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: If you own a business or know of other local businesses and/or organizations offering a helping hand to Katrina refugees who have now become members of our community, please feel free to leave that information in the forum or (if you don't want to register), drop us an email: bloggers @ bloghouston.net
We'll update the thread periodically, and perhaps make it sticky at some point. Let's show our hospitality and generosity, Houston.
UPDATE (12:26 p.m.): Judge Eckels and Mayor White are giving a press conference now. They said they are being inundated with people asking how to donate. Judge Eckels said the best way to help is to donate to the Red Cross or the United Way.
A Red Cross official says the Dome is being organized to accommodate the diverse needs of the people arriving. Cots have been ordered; a triage will be set up to assess the medical condition of the refugees; a nursery area will be set up and a mental health area will be set up. He says the Dome is being prepared more as a place for long-term temporary living, as opposed to a shelter.
Mayor White says the Medical Center will play a big role in helping with medical needs, and in helping with the psychological needs of the SuperDome refugees, many of whom have been traumatized.
UPDATE 2: In the forum, Laurence Simon notes an important announcement, for Houston-area residents to help prepare the Astrodome.
UPDATE 3: The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has useful information for those displaced and those who want to help here. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has additional information.
ANNE ADDS (9-1-2005): Regular readers know that I live in far North Harris County and up here Spring Tabernacle has opened its doors as a Red Cross Shelter. It is located on FM 2920, between Falvel Rd. and I-45. The fine folks there are seeking volunteers. Also, our local Wal-Mart and Chili's, both located at FM 2920 and Kuykendahl are helping with volunteers, supplies, food and donations.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/31/05 10:01 AM |
Open the dome (updated)
Banjo Jones has a really good idea how our community might help our friends and neighbors in New Orleans:
An unprecedented disaster calls for an unprecedented response.
That's why the Harris County Domed Stadium, known to most of the world as The Astrodome, should be opened up as a shelter for the people of Louisiana.
The air conditioners work, the toilets work and the roof doesn't leak. The same can't be said for the Louisiana Superdome, where estimates say up to 30,000 are living with no A.C., no working toilets and holes in the roof.
Fly 'em to Houston on C-130s. FEMA can help foot the expenses and Reliant Energy might be persuaded to provide free electricity to make up for price gouging California consumers during their energy crisis.
The rest of his post is here.
That sort of generosity would truly be world-class.
What do you say, Houston/Harris County leadership? Can we pull it off?
UPDATE: Question answered.
Chron.com is now reporting that the refugees from the Superdome will be bused over to the Astrodome:
As Army engineers struggled without success to plug New Orleans' breached levees with sandbags and water continued to rise, Texas officials have worked out a plan to bring more than 23,000 refugees from the Superdome to Houston's Astrodome.
The Houston Chronicle has learned refugees huddled in the Superdome — which had become a shelter of last resort for about 20,000 people — will be bused to the Astrodome in Houston under plans being put together by state and local officials, a spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry said today.
Kathy Walt said Texas still hasn't received a formal request from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who also could be seeking alternatives to the Astrodome. But, Walt added, the Louisiana secretary of state requested Texas's help in a phone call late last night or early this morning.
Walt said arrangements were being made for more than 400 buses to transport the refugees, who have been without power or adequate sanitary facilities since the hurricane struck New Orleans on Monday.
Officials from both states and Harris County were discussing logistics in a conference call early this morning, Walt said. She said that the governor's office has been told the Astrodome's events schedule has been cleared through December.
Good. Let's make it happen, Houston and Texas.
UPDATE 2 (10:15 am): Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has announced the plan to evacuate Superdome refugees to the Astrodome, thanking Texas Governor Rick Perry, Houston Mayor Bill White, and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels for their help (via the internet stream of Belo's New Orleans affiliate WWL-TV). Louisiana officials say the buses are now rolling.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/31/05 06:22 AM |
30 August 2005
HISD steps up to provide schooling for hurricane refugee students
HISD has announced that it is ready to accept students who are stranded in Houston due to Hurricane Katrina:
HISD officials contacted the Texas Education Agency Tuesday about guidelines for temporarily accepting the storm refugees as students. Students living in temporary living arrangements due to 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.
Homeless students who are 4 years old on September 1 qualify to attend pre-Kindergarten. In some HISD schools, pre-Kindergarten classes are also available for homeless students who are 3 years old on September 1.
Parents will be asked to complete a Student Residency Form to document where they are currently residing and verify that they qualify for “homeless” status under federal law. State and federal guidelines permit enrollment of these students for 30 days pending initiation of vaccinations or receipt of vaccination documentation and school records. HISD will seek further guidance from the Texas Education Agency for helping the children after the 30-day period.
Also, Dr. Saavedra announced a district-wide fundraising drive for the American Red Cross, and the establishment of a team of technical experts to assist New Orleans schools as they begin the process of disaster recovery.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/30/05 08:43 PM |
The Houston welcome mat (updated)
Here's a bit of good news for our Houston visitors:
While evacuees of Hurricane Katrina are waiting to return home, the Houston Comets and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, are trying to give them a break from their worries.
The Houston Comets are offering free tickets to Tuesday night's first-round playoff game against the Seattle Storm.
If you would like to attend, the game starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Toyota Center. Evacuees will be required to show a valid state driver's license from Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama.
For more information, call the Comets box office at (877) COMETS-WIN.
Team officials said seats are limited and advise patrons to arrive early.
Also, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has opened its doors, free of charge, to evacuees through Oct. 29.
Evacuees must show a Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama driver's license at the visitor's desk in the lobby of the Caroline Wiess Law Building or the Audrey Jones Beck Building.
For more information, call (713) 639-7300.
Also, Banjo Jones has a post about Louisianans heading to the Galleria for necessities, where they were treated to a special deal at Nordstrom's.
Local news broadcasts last night had many tales of local charities, businesses and churches helping out anyway they could, by contributing water and other supplies to shelters.
And the Houston SPCA took in more than 260 dogs and cats from the Louisiana SPCA, all of which are ready to be adopted. KHOU-11 has a nice story on the plight of these little critters and how Houston-area residents can help.
UPDATE: Laurence Simon reminds us to donate to the Red Cross. I'll add the Salvation Army as another very worthy cause in the relief efforts.
UPDATE 2: Chris Baker (KTRH-740) is running down a list of Houston attractions that are offering free or reduced admission to Hurricane Katrina refugees, including the Childrens Museum, the Hermann Park paddle boats, the Houston Zoo, the Museum of Natural Science, the Laff Stop, and even the Astros, which are offering half-price admission.
UPDATE 3: The Hilton Americas is making up for yesterday's bad press:
Houston-area hotels have relaxed their policies to allow Katrina refugees to keep their pets with them. For example, a Great Dane, a poodle and a hound dog roamed the lobby of Houston's downtown Hilton Americas hotel yesterday.
Hotel spokeswoman Anna Drake estimated more than 100 animals are hotel guests, including birds, hamsters and rabbits.
That's the spirit.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/30/05 09:52 AM |
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