Hurrican Relief - Donation Site

[Evans Dad]

Hey Everyone

It's Clint, well I have read some of the other posts and we need to help. Shreveport was not directly affected but we have a lot of Red Cross sites set up locally, and I have a houseful. Our family is safe and we have located the last couple of members in Houston.

Many of you have asked how we can help the Gulf Coast region Down Syndrome Support groups. I have contacted Paypal and set up a general donation fund. The funds from this account will be maintained with Paypal, and through the guidance of the NDSS they will be dispursed directly to local groups that were affected.

Please go to www.paypal.com, the account was set up using our groups email. Money can be sent to the following email address:

[e-mail]

Please continue to pray for our families, we have heard it could be months if not years that the rebuild will be complete, especially New Orleans. I have been in contact with the DSAGNO's president and they still have many families missing.

Email me with any questions to the above email.

Thanks in advance for your support for our Gulf Coast groups that have been devastated.

Clinton Swanson
President
Up With Downs

[Evans Dad]

I am working on a website that donations can be made to as well, I know some people are not familiar with paypal nor have a paypal account, but that was the quickest option. Once I get the site up I will post the link.

Clint

[Evans Dad]

Quick Note

I just spoke with the NDSS and they are setting up a donation site through the main page. I am not sure when it will be ready, but they are going to start the pot with $3000.00.

The link will be available at www.ndss.org sometime today or tomorrow. Any money that our group has received through paypal will automatically be donated into the NDSS site.

Keep them in your prayers
Clint

[momofrussell]

Thanks Clint! You are awesome! I passed the info along too!

A.

[Evans Dad]

September 1, 2005

Dear Friends:

Like all of you, we have been terribly saddened and distressed to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. We share your deep concerns for the many people affected by this tragedy, including individuals with Down syndrome and their families in these areas.

We have heard from Karen Scallan from the Down Syndrome Association of Greater New Orleans, who reports that many of their members have lost their homes and are now in Texas, Tennessee, Florida and other locations. She is working to track down people they have not spoken to yet. Karen thanks everyone for their prayers and thoughts!

Laura Sherman from the Mobile Area Down Syndrome Support Group is also working to reach out to members in their area who have been displaced by the hurricane, and also expresses her appreciation for everyone's concern.

We have reached out to Kim Duffy at the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society, but have not heard back from her yet.

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) has established the Katrina Fund for the Down Syndrome Community, which will be a temporary fund to raise money for the Down Syndrome Association of Greater New Orleans, the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society and the Mobile Area Down Syndrome Support Group.

NDSS has made an initial contribution of $3,000 to the fund, and we invite other interested individuals and groups to donate to the fund either online by pasting this link into your browser join.buddywalk.org/site/R?i=Br97iT7-_oL5OcuCOAGMAQ.. or by mailing a check to NDSS at 666 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10012. All checks should include "Katrina Fund" on the memo line. The deadline to contribute to the fund is September 30.


All monies (100%) collected through the fund will be distributed in October directly to the affiliate groups in Gulfport, New Orleans and Mobile to support local people with Down syndrome and their families. Each affiliate group can decide how to best utilize the funds by giving cash donations to families in need, buying books for children, supporting their local group activities since their Buddy Walks might not take place this year, or anything else that will be the most helpful!

We realize that even our most generous contributions will be small in relation to the needs but they will be large with respect to the heart of our community. Whatever the amount, the funds will be distributed in an equitable fashion to the three groups, deferring to their best judgment about how best to use these funds in their respective Down syndrome communities.

If you or your group is interested in contributing in other ways (e.g. offering housing for displaced families, sending supplies, etc.), we suggest contacting the affected groups directly. Any offers of assistance for New Orleans can be directed to Karen Scallan ([e-mail]), copying Mike Rapier ([e-mail]). We will post updated information about the other groups on www.NDSS.org as it is available.

Thank you in advance for opening your hearts to the many members of our Down syndrome family who are facing unbelievable hardships as a result of Hurricane Katrina.


Sincerely,

Pam van der Lee Alan P. Brownstein
Chair, NDSS Board of Directors President, NDSS

[wrblack]

There's an update on the NDSS page, www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NwsEvt.Article&article=1372 :

<< The following e-mail dated 9/2/2005 came to NDSS from Karen Scallan, the President of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater New Orleans.

Please tell everyone you know to log on to www.wwltv.com and read the reports from today's lead article ANARCHY
www.wwltv.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/katrina/stories/090105ccjcwccwMainKatrina.4c55a2f6.html. Also the article New orleans Doctors plead for help www.wwltv.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/katrina/stories/090105ccwcKatrinaDocsplead.16a0e3a0.html.

Then ask everyone you know to call their representatives and senators and GET US HELP. OUR PEOPLE ARE DYING IN DROVES. OUR MAYOR WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS ON TELEVISION BEGGIN FOR AUTHORITY TO BRING IN MORE ASSISTANCE. HE CLAIMS FEMA IS DOING NOTHING BUT HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCES!!!

Please pass this to everyone you know. Our City is one of the most generous cities you can imagine. We sent millions of dollars to victims of 911. We bought fire trucks, we send thousands and thousands to Tsunami victims, other hurricane victims and our government is dragging it's feet. DAYS AND DAYS HAVE PASSED. Our People are forgotten and dying. WE NEED THE MILITARY TO COME IN AND TAKE OVER, THEY NEED FOOD, WATER, MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

PLEASE ALSO TELL THEM that there are areas that are NOT BEING COVERED BY THE MEDIA THAT ARE IN EVEN MORE DIRE STRAIGHTS if you can believe that. Today, the Clerk of Court of St. Bernard Parish which lies in between New Orleans and the exact impact of the eye of the hurricane, was brought to tears as she begged and begged for assistance. THEY HAVE HAD NO HELICOPTER RESCUES IN ST. BERNARD PARISH! 1,000 people evacuated from a hurricane shelter at one high school which now reports to have water to the top of the goal posts on the football field. They have taken refuge in the port of St. Bernard facilities. The St. Bernard Parish government has taken refuge in an oil refinery because the Government offices have taken on 20 feet of water. THEY HAVE NO FOOD, NO WATER ... for days. You won't see helicopter flyovers with film of this area.

Please send this desperate plea to everyone you can. Ask them to put pressure on Washington to move this on and stop telling our people that even though things look bad now, it will get better. >>

Sounds worse than we knew, possibly worse than we would have imagined. -- Bob

[Jackie]

Texas has more than a quarter of a million already in the state and more expected. Here in Amarillo we have more than 750 coming to day. There is a Red Cross orientation this afternoon which Ed and I will be attending....they want us for 8 hr shifts...doing a variety of things....It just feels good to actually be able to do something besides write a check which of course we have done and will probably keep doing. Imagine Ed will take some patients since so many of them seem to have diabetes and no insurance etc...and no info on their benefits.

I just hope the wheels get in motion to figure out what happens in the long term for some of these folks as they can't live forever in our Civic Center or the Astrodome.

A friend who goes to Trinity University said they have many Tulane students who will be going there this semester.

Jackie mom to Emily 25

[momofrussell]

Bob.. I passed your post along but the links don't work.. says "page not found" when you click on the news site.

A.

[CC]

BUMP

[Jackie]

Got this sad note from Emily's former Houston case manager....the ARC of Houston is acting as the national clearing house for those with disabilities from the storm......She also told me if Em wanted to contribute $ to give it to ARC so it would go to help all with disabilities.

There seems to be very little info re: what has happened to people with disabilities. There's an estimated 102,221 people with disabilities in New Orleans alone. I'm afraid we'll find many among the body count.

I will keep you posted.

Jackie mom to Emily 25

[justinsmom]

Just found this site, it has a form to fill out for those individuals that wish to help those with disabilities with housing katrinadisability.info/ and also those with disabilities seeking help.