Major relief organizations
Red Cross: 1-800-HELP-NOW or www.redcross.org
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org
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Catholic Charities: 1-800-919-9338 or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
Episcopal Relief & Development: 1-800-334-7626 or www.er-d.org
United Methodist Committee on Relief: 1-800-554-8583 or gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005/
Operation USA: 1-800-678-7255 or www.opusa.org
FEMA Charity tips: www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: www.nvoad.org
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: www.la-spca.org
Islamic Relief: www.irw.org/katrina
ICNA Relief: icnarelief.org
Humane Society of the United States: www.hsus.org
United Jewish Communities: www.ujc.org
Information on the Web
National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov
National Weather Service: iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/graphicsversion/bigmain.html
Hydrologic Information Center (river flooding): www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/index.html
Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov
Louisiana Homeland Security: www.ohsep.louisiana.gov
City of New Orleans: www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx
Louisiana Governor’s Office: www.gov.state.la.us
Contacting relief organizations by phone
WASHINGTON – While a variety of government and private agencies are en route to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, federal officials say people wanting to help should not head to the affected area unless directed by an agency.
Instead, people are being urged to make cash contributions to organizations.
Such donations allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims, helps agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Cash also saves on the cost of shipping donated goods.
In addition to the above listed agencies, FEMA lists the following as needing cash to assist hurricane victims:
Operation Blessing, 800-436-6348.
America’s Second Harvest, 800-344-8070.
Adventist Community Services, 800-381-7171.
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.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 800-872-3283.
Southern Baptist Convention – Disaster Relief, 800-462-8657, ext. 6440.