Hurricane Katrina
Park and rec collecting items
Madison's Recreation Department will host a drop off point for Hurricane Katrina relief. The drop off point will be at Dublin Park during business hours Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Non-perishable food items, clothing, personal hygiene items, etc. will be collected. Non-perishable food items to help families in Madison during the holiday season that is approaching will also be collected.
The American Red Cross can be reached at 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7699) or at www.redcross.org
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is accepting donations of bottled water weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at its offices at 2114 Oakwood Ave.
To donate to the Salvation Army, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Lenny's donation
Lenny's Sub Shop in Madison is doing its part to help hurricane victims. The Tennessee-based company has formed the Lenny's Disaster Relief Fund. This fund will help raise money for donation to the American Red Cross for the victims of Katrina.
Guests can donate to the Red Cross at the restaurant and the company will match the total donations. One hundred percent of all donations will go to the American Red Cross.
For every $1 donated in the restaurant, the customer will receive a "relief sub certificate." This certificate has a space for the guest to write his or her name and will be placed on the dining room wall. In addition, each guest will receive a sticker that includes the Red Cross emblem and states "I gave to the Lenny's Disaster Relief Fund."
State parks put to use
Alabama is putting its state parks to work to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Joe Wheeler State Park and Monte Sano State Park will be among those used for temporary housing.
Joe Wheeler has 116 campsites, 26 family cottages and 75 rooms. Monte Sano has 89 campsites and 14 cabins.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is supplying trailers to serve as long-term housing.
Alabama's 22 state parks have a total of 2,500 campsites and more than 350 rooms in lodges, chalets and cabins across the state. Modern campsites have water and electrical hookups, and some have sewer hook-ups as well.
Museum donates to victims
Burritt on the Mountain - A Living Museum has donated free passes to the Red Cross for Katrina victims who have come to Huntsville to escape the destruction. The passes are available to hurricane victims living in North Alabama shelters.
Efforts coordinated
The Volunteer Center of Madison County has compiled a list of ways you can help with Hurricane Katrina efforts. The Volunteer Center hopes to recruit and place volunteers in shelters and other areas identified by the American Red Cross.
Until the extent of the damage is assessed, however, actual needs are not yet known and specific supplies and volunteers have not been requested. To learn more, volunteers can go to www.servealabama.gov.
Shelter opened in Huntsville
A local shelter has been opened at Grace Lutheran Church at 3321 Memorial Parkway SW in Huntsville. For more information, call 881-0552.
Items collected
The Turner Disaster Relief Foundation is collecting non- perishable food, canned goods and personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, deodorant and disposable razors and other items such as Band-Aids, diapers, baby formula, school supplies and pet food. The agency has a collection point at every fire station in Madison, Huntsvile and Athens, as well as at the US Marine Corps Reserve Center and WAHR-FM Star 99.1, both on South Memorial Parkway.
Nurses sought
The Red Cross is looking for nurses to help in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.
There is currently a critical need for nursing professionals. If you are a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) willing to volunteer, call 571-226-8221.
Grant help Alabamians
A $4 million grant from the Department of Labor is designed to find temporary work for those Alabama residents who lost their jobs as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The grant will fund some 350 positions involved with the clean up and recovery from the storm.
The grant will also be used to pay for repairs on homes of those eligible for federally funded weatherization programs, with priority given to services for the elderly and individuals with disabilities.
Volunteer online
Alabamians who want to volunteer for disaster relief efforts can sign up over the internet through Gov. Bob Riley's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
The web site where Alabamians can sign up to volunteer is www.servealabama.gov/.
Individuals are asked to provide their contact information and list skills they have that are especially helpful in hurricane recovery efforts, such as emergency medical training, and experience as heavy equipment operators, social workers and drivers.
AG advises caution in giving
Alabama residents are encouraged to open up their wallets to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, but Attorney General Troy King is urging caution be mixed with charity.
King said contributors should make sure they are dealing with charitable organizations they are familiar with, who have track records and histories that can easily be verified.
Reputable and established relief organizations are more likely to be better equipped to assist victims faster and more effectively. King also advises:
For more detailed guidelines and information, log onto www.give.org, the web site for the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.
Calhoun offers help with education
Calhoun Community College and the Alabama Department of Post-secondary Education are working with any student currently enrolled in an Alabama College System institution who had to withdraw due to circumstances caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Affected students are eligible to have their state tuition and fees refunded for the fall term. For students enrolled in Mississippi and Louisiana public community, junior, or technical colleges unable to reopen due to catastrophic damage, tuition and fee scholarships will be awarded at Alabama College System institutions on a space-available basis.
Provisional enrollments will be processed with financial aid eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, contact the Calhoun Admissions Office at 306-2607, or Dr. Susan Price, Alabama Department of Post-secondary Education, at 334-242-2900.
Health department services may be interrupted
Routine services at local county health departments may be interrupted as employees with the Alabama Department of Public Health respond to Hurricane Katrina. Health department officials said all resources are currently going to hurricane relief.
The department is working to provide medial assistance at shelters and in effected areas.
