Tech community joins Katrina relief effort

The tech community is rallying around victims of Hurricane Katrina, offering technical assistance, aiding the homeless and gathering relief donations.

Hurricane Katrina came ashore along the Gulf Coast early Monday, wreaking havoc on Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with heavy rains and 145-mph winds. Thousands are feared dead in the wake of what could be the deadliest natural disaster in the United States in nearly a century.

Wireless giant Sprint Nextel announced Tuesday that it would dispatch nearly two dozen specialty vehicles to coordinate the recovery effort and restore communications services. The deployment will include two large RVs plus several other support vehicles, including five satellite cells on light trucks, to aid with restoration of government and emergency services. The company's emergency response team will come equipped with 3,000 Nextel Walkie Talkie handsets for emergency services customers and organizations, the company said.

Qwest Communications said it will send 2,000 long-distance calling cards so those affected could call loved ones. The company also said it has given the Red Cross $230,000 to help train responders.

Cable giant Comcast said it will donate $10 million worth of advertising time for public service announcements related to hurricane relief.

Chipmaker Intel's philanthropic arm, the Intel Foundation, said Thursday it will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross for disaster relief efforts. The foundation will also match dollar-for-dollar employee contributions in support of the relief effort during September.

Meanwhile, Americans have donated millions to the relief effort. The American Red Cross said it has raised $21 million, with nearly $15 million of that coming from individual donations collected through its Web site.

Some Web giants are pitching in with the fundraising as well. In the same way it collected donations for victims of last year's Asian tsunami, Amazon.com is letting people donate to the American Red Cross via its 1-click payment system. Web auctioneer eBay is working with MissionFish.org, a nonprofit organization that allows eBay users to buy and sell items, with the proceeds going to disaster relief.

Meanwhile, free community Web site Craigslist is providing resources to victims of the hurricanes. The site is hosting pages listing volunteer opportunities and offers, pleas for information on loved ones, and free temporary housing for those left homeless by the hurricane. Hundreds of people from around the country are offering varying accommodations on the New Orleans Craigslist site.

I'm doing my part ...

... at www.grubesteak.com.

This hurricane thing sucks.

KatrinaHousing.ORG

A major effort is underway to coordinate the housing crisis for Katrina

victims at <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://katrinahousing.org" target="_newWindow">http://katrinahousing.org</a>.

Volunteers can post available housing/rooms/apts, etc.. and victims can

search for housing. Lists can be printed for physical distribution as well.

This is in attempted efforts with MoveOn.org, RedCross, and other groups.

We need your assistance in distributing this information through your

channels as quickly as possible.

Katrinahousing.org

My name is Lisa Heylin and my Husband's name is Destry Heylin. Our hearts go out to all the victims of Katrina. My husband just returned from Gulfport this eveing from helping with search and recovery.
We would love to extend our home to a family or person that needs a place to stay during the difficult time. We have a 4 bdr./2ba home on ten acres of land. We have 3 boys ages 11, 14 and 16. My husband and I both work full time. I work at a medical clinic and Destry is a Maint. Tech. We are not rich in money, but our hearts are rich and we would be priveledged to help at least one person through this undescribable event in their lives.
Please let us know if our home could be used in helping anyone that has lived through Hurricane Katrina. We would be happy to have a family with kids who could go to school with our boys, or anyone who is in need and wishes to share our home. Please let us know if we can help.
Thanks
Destry &#38; Lisa Heylin
662/416-5400

Church gym available

We are offering our church gym with kitchen, bathroom facilities (including showers), to Katrina Refugees. Please contact [e-mail] for additional information.

Housing Availability

We live in a small town in central Wisconsin, located between Green Bay and Stevens Point. Our home is an old farm house that's been remodeled and has a huge yard. We would like to open up our home to a family of four if they don't mind re-locating for awhile to get back on their feet, or decide to make a new start in this area.
We have been watching your news coverage since we returned from Alabama on Aug 31st., and it has broken my heart to see these poor families loose everyting. We wish we could do more for all those people and we decided our best gift would be to take in a family and give them hope for a brighter future. So please if you know of a family
who would like to accept our offer, contact us. We have 2 bedrooms upstairs not in use and I love to cook. I am used to cooking for an army but now that it is just the 2 of us I don't cook much any
more. It would be pure joy to be able to cook like I used to. Thank You for the time to be able
to get my message out and I hope we will be able
to help out a family in return.
I pray for all the survivors and those who were
not able to make it. Make God keep watch over everyone and my prayers and thoughts are with all of you always.
Sincerely Yours,
Judy Mentink
Iola, Wisconsin

Housing

I wrote to you a few days ago about opening our home up to a family of four. I was just curious if
anyone inquired about our offer. I also should give you are phone number in case you would have to contact us for more information or questions
you might have. Our number is [phone].
Thank You,
Judy Mentink

please read

Hello. My name is Rachel and I am 12 years old. I've watched on the tv what has happened from hurricane Katrina. It's awful. I've cried several times watching the news. My school and I are trying to help out as much as we can. We are collecting money around the school. Me and my friend Sydney and my french teacher Mrs. Kellams are wanting to do something major to help and i was wondering what we could do. So far all we are doing is collecting money but would like to do so much more. So please email me back at [e-mail] and tell me what else we could do to possibly help.

church gym available

We are offering our church gym with kitchen, bathroom (including showers), in westmoreland TN. please contact us if our facility can used.

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Katrina Housing

My name is Karin Barbee, I am a recent widow living in Chino Valley, AZ. I have a large 4 bedroom home with 2 bedrooms available for a family or families displaced by hurricane Katrina. I have a large yard so children are more then welcome. I am totally heart sick for these poor people and want to help as much as I can. My town is small and nice with lots of work in construction, clerical, sales and medical fields. There are lots of good schools here and it is a warm and welcoming town. People here really caring and will open their arms to welcome people from this disaster. My home is new and large and I really want to help some of these people relocate and find some peace in this.

Please contact me as soon as possible.

Karin Barbee

A room Available

I am a single mom in Lakeland FL. I have a room available to a couple, a single Mom with children, children without parents yet found, or an elderly person. Because I am a single mom, I would prefer no single men. However I will take it under consideration. I don't have much except the room and food and support. My email is [e-mail].

Housing in Buffalo, NY

God Bless You. If any hurricane victim is able to respond to this email regarding housing in buffalo if you don't mind the snow, please feel free to contact us. We are a born again Christian family. We live in a new townhome where we are able accomodate the basement for for comfort. We have four children, two are away at school and we have two at home with us, a 15 y.o. son and a 9 y.o. son. So please know, we'll make a way out of no way. Your in our prayers. May His peace be with you! IN HIS SERVICE
Ken and Marlene

Contact Info for Buffalo Reply

Ken and Marlene Pryor
Buffalo, NY
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]

[femme30]

Keep it up

I shall be visiting Buffalo soon and I have been looking for a born again christian church in Buffalo. Is your church in Buffalo ? Thanks.

Housing for displaced children of hurricane katrina.

We would like to provide housing for displaced children of the hurricane. We can provide a home for two or three boys of elementary school age. Our family is very loving; our home is spacious; and we live very close to an elementary school in Edmond, OK. Also, I am a stay at home Mother that will be very available to the children. I can be contacted via email ([e-mail]) or at 405-922-5477. God Bless, Barbara Albritton