Internet: Hurricane Katrina relief resources in Houston

(from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston via JS)

Below is a list of resources for Katrina relief efforts. You will find information on shelters, donations, local drives and fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities.

The United Way has informed us that volunteers are needed as soon as possible at the Astrodome. If you would like to volunteer, please go to the McNee Street parking lot entrance off of Kirby and report to the second floor of Reliant Center (that?s the big convention center building). Due to this need, BBBS offices are closing today at noon so that we may participate in these relief efforts.

Shelter Information
Dial 2-1-1 or 713-957-HELP (4357) for shelter information provided by the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast.
The Red Cross has opened 17 shelters in the Greater Houston area. Call Red Cross 1-(866) GET- INFO. Due to the high demand, the Houston Chapter has opened a local phone bank to provide information on Houston Area Red Cross activities at 713.313.5480.
The Salvation Army has several open shelters. For information, please call 713-752-0677
Many additional shelters are open throughout the area. Please visit the Houston Chronicle?s special section on Katrina to find updated information at http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/05/katrina/index.html#

Food
The Houston Food Bank is requesting a specific list of donation items. Please visit their website for more information at http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/
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.
Free dinner 5-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, First Baptist Church Houston, 7401 Katy Freeway.
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.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, North Channel Assistance Ministries, 138371⁄2 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.

Monetary Donations
Adventist Community Services: 800-381-7171
American Red Cross: 800-HELP NOW (435- 7669) English, 800-257-7575 Spanish
America's Second Harvest: 800-344-8070
Catholic Charities, USA: 703-549-1390
Christian Disaster Response: 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: 800- 848-5818
Church World Service: 800-297-1516
Convoy of Hope: 417-823-8998
Lutheran Disaster Response: 800-638-3522
Mennonite Disaster Service: 717-859-2210
Nazarene Disaster Response: 888-256-5886
Operation Blessing: 800-436-6348
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 800-872- 3283
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725- 2769)
Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief: 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
United Jewish Communities: 800-554-8583
United Methodist Committee on Relief: 800-554- 8583

Local Donations, Drives, and Assistance
The following information from the Houston Chronicle outlines a variety of ways to provide assistance:
The United Way has established a Hurricane Katrina Resource Guide that serves as a quick reference about the relief effort. It will be updated daily as new information becomes available.
The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department in conjunction with the City Wide Club is collecting food and clothing to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Residents may place nonperishable food, clothes and toiletries in a grocery bag at the curb on their garbage day between Sept. 6 and 9 for pickup. Donations also may be dropped off at eight area locations.
Houston City Council is sponsoring a school supply drive for refugee children who need to go to school. The Children Caring for Children project encourages Houstonians to donate new children's school supplies, backpacks, tennis shoes and T-shirts to their local fire stations through Sunday. For information, call Councilwoman Addie Wiseman's office at 713-247-2008 or e-mail districte@cityofhouston.net.
The Star of Hope Mission is collecting items for the Hurricane Katrina refugees at several Central Bank locations in the Houston area. They need: towels, shampoo, washcloths, conditioner, baby needs, toothbrushes, diapers, shaving cream, baby food, razors, bottled water, deodorant, combs, lotion, hair brushes, clothing, cots, mats, pillows, bed linens, over the counter medications and feminine hygiene products.
The Montgomery County Food Bank is accepting food donations for victims now settling into Montgomery County. To volunteer, call 936-539- 6686 or 936-203-4161. Food donations may be made at 1300 S. Frazier, Suite 310, Conroe. Hours are expected to be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, depending on the number of volunteers available. Cash donations also accepted.
Monetary donations for American Red Cross will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at collection tents on Friday at Baybrook, Deerbrook, The Woodlands and Willowbrook malls. Additionally, these malls, as well as First Colony Mall, are collecting donations at their customer service centers.
Houston Community Management Services and Greatwood Community Association will hold a relief drive from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Greatwood's recreation center, 7225 Greatwood Parkway in Sugar Land. Donations will go to Houston area shelters for Katrina evacuees.
Goodwill Industries of Houston is accepting clothes, shoes, furnishing and monetary contributions to assist victims of the hurricane. Volunteers are also needed to buy items at Goodwill stores and deliver them to victims. For more information, call 713-692- 6221 or visit www.goodwillhouston.org.
Six Flags AstroWorld and Six Flags Splashtown will donate $1 to the American Red Cross for each paid admission during Labor Day Weekend. Due to limited capacity, the theme parks' previous offer of free admission to evacuees is no longer in effect.
Donations may be dropped off 7:30 a.m.-noon Friday at the Golden Corral, 3033 South Loop West 610 at South Main. Needed: Water, nonperishable items, diapers and powdered milk. Sponsored by Houston City Councilman Ronald C. Green, the NFL's Bobby Taylor, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, BFI Waste, 100 Black Men of America Houston Chapter, Houston Black Fire Fighters Association and the National Association for Black Public Administrators-Houston Chapter.

Two local businesses are collecting donations to be delivered to hurricane victims. A 48-foot trailer will be set up at 5735 Westheimer at Chimney Rock, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 5-12. They are collecting: Paper goods, diapers, cleaning supplies, plastic bottles of water, single-serve nonperishable snacks, peanut butter, canned food and other nonperishable food. For information contact the Houston Food Bank or call 713-223-3700. The sponsoring businesses are New York Pizzeria and M.E. Taylor Trucking of Baytown.
The Houston Asian Junior Chamber is collecting toys, books, games, hygiene items, baby items and canned foods at the Welcome Food Center, 9180 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday- Sunday. All proceeds to go to American Red Cross. To volunteer, call Linda Wu at 832-282-2688 or email her at linda@wucpa.com.  
KSBJ-FM and the Greater Houston YMCA are collecting prepaid grocery, gasoline and phone cards. Donations will be accepted today at Sharpstown Mall, today at Memorial City Mall and Friday at Almeda Mall, noon-7 p.m. each day. Houston-area YMCAs will accept cards through September.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will conduct a special collection at weekend Masses. Funds will go to Catholic Charities USA.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston is accepting tax-deductible donations at www.houstonjewish.org or Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund, 5603 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096.
The Islamic Circle of North America is taking donations at www.icna.org and by mail at ICNA, P.O. Box 572181, Houston, TX 77257.
The West Houston Church of Christ, 17100 West, is collecting phone, gas and grocery cards through September for distribution to Red Cross shelters. Call 281-856-0001 or visit www.westhoustonchurch.org.
The Katy Chamber of Commerce, 2501 S. Mason, Suite 230, Katy, is taking donations of goods and services. Visit www.katychamber.com or call 281- 828-1100 for more information.
The United Way Katrina Refugee Relief Fund will raise money for evacuees staying in Houston. Donations are to be made at any Amegy Bank of Texas or mailed to United Way Katrina Refugee Relief Fund, Account No. 3601021, Attn. Teller, P.O. Box 27459 Houston, TX 77227. Clothing and toy donations are also being accepted. Please call 713- 957-4357.
The East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry Food Pantry, 425 Stafford Run in Stafford, is collecting nonperishable foods 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 281-261-1006.

The Buzz, KTBZ-FM (94.5), is auctioning off autographed guitars and rock memorabilia at www.thebuzz.com.
Telemundo affiliate KTMD (Channel 47) and La Mera Mera KROI-FM (92.1) are collecting checks, payable to the Red Cross, as well as bedding, water, toiletries, new undergarments for children and adults, diapers, baby formula and first-aid kits at Telemundo offices, 1235 North Loop West.
Randalls shoppers may add donations to the Spirit of Texas Hurricane Relief Fund and the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to their grocery bill through Sept. 11. Co-sponsored by KHOU (Channel 11) and radio stations KTRH-AM (740), KHMX-FM (96.5) and KKRW-FM (93.7).
The Chabad Lubavitch Center, an Orthodox Jewish organization at 10900 Fondren, is seeking volunteers to provide Jewish refugees with hospitality, kosher food, clothing and emergency cash; 713-777-2000 or relief@chabadtexas.org.
St. Luke's United Methodist Church is accepting donations. Send checks marked ``Disaster Response'' to the church at P.O. Box 22013 , Houston 77227.
St. Vincent de Paul Society, 2403 Holcombe, needs volunteers. Call 713-741-8234. Also needed are nonperishable food, clothing, new underwear, new children's sleeping bags, pillows, slippers, pajamas, crayons, coloring books, personal hygiene items and pet food. Drop off donated items, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, at Washington Thrift Store, 2020 Washington; Bellaire Thrift Store, 5236 Cedar; and Ozanam Outlet, 610 Memory Lane.
Episcopal churches will take an offering Sunday to buy food gift cards for evacuees. Send contributions to Hurricane Relief, Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 3203 W. Alabama, Houston 77098.
The Union for Reform Judaism is collecting donations online at urj.org/give; mail checks payable to URJ Hurricane Relief at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset, Houston 77005.
The Houston-based Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is accepting donations through local Methodist churches. Online donations may be made at www.methodistrelief.org.

Share Your Home
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.

Pets
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.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston

email: lbreed@bbbshouston.org
phone: 713 271 5683
web: http://www.bbbshouston.org