Evacuees Need?

[PatsGirl]

I'm having the hardest time trying to find out from the Red Cross or Salvation Army just what the evacuees arriving (2500 persons) at Otis Air Force Base may need and, more importantly, what these orgs will accept so I tried to come up with a plan according to what I've been reading about the other shelters, mainly that large amounts of clothing will not be distributed immediately so...

I have taken off from the "We've GOt Your Back" campaign and already have more than 40 backpacks promised filled with school supplies and other goodies for the children who will need to start school here soon. All this in less than 6 hours so far just from friends/emails.

Also I am taking donations of boys/girls new packaged underwear. I think if they are having to wear used clothing it might be nice to have their very own new undies if possible.

Books, puzzles, jumpropes, and small stuffies for the babies.

Does anyone have more/better ideas for me to kick around?

I did warn everyone that they should expect a sneaker and sweatshirt drive to begin in the coming weeks once we've got the school supplies done.

Every little bit helps and from what I can see people are doing a lot more than a "little bit". Thank you to all who are contributing in any way they can. I know my children learned a good lesson filling the backpacks that we purchased just this afternoon.

Brenda

 

[lovemygoofy]

I'll tell you that we are having a drive for litertally everything but we put specific churches/radio stations/organizations in charge of getting specific items. Here are the exmaples:

Churches: clothing/shoes just for right now; we are going to wait another month or so to do the fall/winter run

Radio station: food drives

Organizations: medical checkups/town assitance/ high cash help

Girl/Boy Scouts: toy drive

Drop off boxes for hygiene kits: includes shampoo, soap, bodyscrubber, shaving cream/razors, deodrant, possibly makeup kits, and other things

Other drop off boxes for baby items

This is just so far the process we are working on to implement in the upcoming weeks. Hope these gives you some ideas. Thanks for your help.

 

[PatsGirl]

Thanks Tina. I'm glad to see that items are being grouped like this. It's what I thought might happen so I'm not too far off base here

I've been told by numerous people that the Salvation Army and Red Cross in this area will NOT accept clothing at this time. (I'm hoping they'll take the undies for the kids though). I figured that the schools will definately take the backpacks if no one else will so...

Thank you too!

 

[cati]

xxxxxxxx

 

[PatsGirl]

Cati: I just pm'd you. Brenda

 

[bicker]

I think it is crazy that the red cross will not take things that are offered.

Logistics for un-coordinated goods is extremely resource-consuming. What is needed now is money, so the Red Cross can purchase standardized, cataloged, and well-understood supplies, delivered in uniform boxes on standard pallets, pre-shrink-wrapped by the gross. A donation of $10 buys some clothing, and gets it to where it needs to be, while a donation of the clothing could cost double that to manage the logistics, and that's assuming that there are any spare workers around to manage logistics.

 

[cati]

Bicker, that makes sense. I did not know.