Helping Those Who Need the Help

Manolo says, it does not need the Manolo to point out that now it is the time to help those who need the help. Decency and human fellow-feeling demand that we do what we can to allieviate the sufferings of the peoples who lost much and are in the danger.

What is there to do?

The Manolo he cannot load the Manolo Mobile with the bottles of the waters, the foods, and the new shoes and drive to the New Orleans and distribute these things in person to the peoples there. It is too far, and the Manolo he becomes nauseous on the long car rides. Besides the Manolo he is the soft man, fattened up by the life of decadance and the luxury restaurant dining. He is not the sort of man who is needed in the New Orleans at this moment.

And so we who are soft and are living in our comfortable, non-hurricane-damaged homes far from the New Orleans and the coast of the Gulf, we must open our wallets and give, give until the needs they are met.

There are many organizations that are doing the good work in this heroic effort, but for the Manolo the choice it is the American Red Cross.

Please consider giving generously.

Comments

Nancy 19 years ago

I live on the Gulf Coast in Pensacola, FL…not hit too hard thankfully. Please also consider donations to the United States Humane Society or other animal rescue organizations along with your donations to the Red Cross etc. People who have been left with nothing except the clothes on their backs and their companion animals are being forced to leave their beloved pets behind to go to shelters, and many animals are stranded with no one to look after them. You can also donate bags of dog and cat food along with your human animal donations…many churches annd other organizations are organizing these runs of supplies. Also cases of water are much needed. And hey, how about some shoes? Good sturdy ones of course. Hurry.

P.S. I hope the Manolo Mobile is a hybrid; we have no gasoline down here. None.

sarah 19 years ago

thanks to the Manolo. the money i could send is sent, and more will go when i have it.

marie terese 19 years ago

Fans of the Manolo who are also the at-home moms or retirees should consider giving a few hours of time to the Red Cross to help take calls, etc. The Red Cross logo pin is tasteful and can be worn without clashing with the couture.

kelliemaria 19 years ago

The people of New Orleans, they need our help! It is so frustrating to see them suffering and dying and not be able to do anything about it. I will donate what I can, but wish i could do more. Those poor, poor people.

Scieppan 19 years ago

Don’t forget that if you can’t donate time or money, you can still donate blood which is always desperately needed. The American Red Cross has made it very easy to find an appointment at your local ARC blood center – online. Visit http://www.givelife.org, register and set up a profile, and arrange for an appointment.

I’ll second the plea for donation to the Humane Society, as well as Noah’s Wish (another animal rescue organization). Since shelters won’t accept pets, people are forced to choose and so many pets are left abandoned.

elayne 19 years ago

[random grouse] I’d love to donate blood, have always wished I could be a donor, but because I was a military dependent and lived in Europe in the 1980s and 1990s, I’m banned for LIFE from donating! An entire segment of society, one that’s known for its volunteerism and community service, is ineligible to donate blood. And of course we could still donate and just not mention the European assignments, but the “what ifs” would do me in. Frustrating.

P.S. – There is a housing “clearinghouse” site called http://www.hurricanehousing.org. If you live within 300-500 miles of the affected area, and are willing to offer housing (a spare bedroom, a couch) to someone made homeless by this disaster, sign up. The organizers will put you in touch with someone needing housing.

DistressedJeans 19 years ago

I’m glad the Manolo put something up about this. It’s a dire, drastic situation down there. I gave a bit and every dollar helps. These poor, poor people. Sending thoughts and prayers to all who have family in the LA area.

Mimi 19 years ago

An excerpt of an email message from my sister, who is in that area:
â€œThis is the kind of thing that I just don’t think people understand. I guess it is first shock, then sadness, giving way to just an empty sense of despair. I can’t stress enough that it is not just a matter of losing your home and your â€˜stuffâ€™. It is like one of those â€˜end of the worldâ€™ science fiction movies where the survivors wander around with â€˜night of the living dead’ faces, not knowing where to go, what to do, and how they will now live. Your neighborhood is gone, and you don’t know if your friends and neighbors even made it. Hell, you don’t even know if your whole family is safe, since the phones don’t work. Emails are for the most part out of the question, since most households, even if untouched by the storm, don’t have power.â€

La BellaDonna 19 years ago

Many, many thanks to The Manolo and his many kind-hearted readers. La BellaDonna, she is doing her small part to help the animals and the people, and will continue to do so as long as the need exists.

If it is not inappropriate, La BellaDonna wishes to salute the corporation Johnson Controls, which has donated a million dollars towards recovery.

Not all corporations are heartless.

Muchas besos.

Lori 19 years ago

“Bonfils [Blood Center] was tapped as the primary provider to support the communityâ€™s ongoing needs. All 17 of The [New Orleans] Blood Centerâ€™s donor centers are incapacitated and will not reopen for at least 10 days which means no blood will be collected. Bonfils accepts monetary donations as well as blood. See http://www.bonfils.org.

JayKay 19 years ago

I would also like to salute Task Force Tips for their large contribution, as well as L.N. Curtis & Sons Fire and Rescue Equipment for matching the contribution. Indeed, not all corporations are heartless.

On another note, this has affected me in ways I never thought possible. Being as that I have a medical background, I feel that I should leave my cushy lifestyle for a bit to travel to New Orleans to help the sick. If the Manolo could recommend an entity that allows volunteers to travel to the affected areas, I would be most gracious.
(note: I have done little to no research on this. I’m sure the answer is right under my nose)

I lived through Ivan and Dennis here in Pensacola; water, batteries for portable radios that get the TV channels ($30 at Target), bleach and sneakers (ugh) are wonderful things. Also heavy gloves for clearing debris. SUNSCREEN! Tarps. Canned fruit. I’d like to give a shout out to Bogan Supply here in Pensacola who just sent over a convoy to MS of you name it people stuff, and 10,000 pounds of pet food that was donated and animal pharmaceuticals also. JayKay, call the Red Cross in your area or Doctors Without Borders to help you find the right way to get there. Y’all rock!

19 years ago

Sales of “The Big Easy” ($12 a pop) for New Orleans relief — anybody got the connections to get it done?

Tinuviel 19 years ago

JayKay, I got a fax from the Louisiana Department of Health requesting physician volunteers; I suspect they also need all manner of medical personnel.

Call Dr. Jean Takenaka, Office of Public Health, Emergency Operations Center at 225-763-5751 or email: jtakenak at dhh.la.gov

Sandy 19 years ago

Wear Your Beads.
Here’s a simple and fitting thing to do to show support: wear your Mardi Gras beads. Better yet, if you can do fundraising (even through your local bar or restaurant, as The Mr. Sandy and I are doing…) why not buy a case of beads from the link below (or anywhere else you can find them), re-sell them for $1 a strand, and send the $720 you raised to the Red Cross or relief fund of your choice?
http://www.mardigrasoutlet.com/list.asp?DepID=1&CtgID=79

ellen 19 years ago

Curiously, while Manolo is encouraging the generousity, Condi Rice is in New York shopping for SHOES. The world is an odd place, is it not?

Canadienne 19 years ago

The Canadienne, she is in Paris feeling helpless while learning of the devastation of the Katrina. She saw a beautiful pair of the high-heeled rounded-toe pumps today in the store window costing 100 of the Euros. But she thinks maybe it is the good idea to send the 100 Euros to the ARC instead. And to the Humane Society too. She is thankful for the blog of the Manolo for helping her be aware of the options.

Tinuviel:
Tried the e-mail address for Dr. Jean Takenaka…my e-mail was returned to me.
Just FYI.
Thanks for the contact info though…I will try calling her.
=)

I bet it bounced due to a completely overflowing inbox.

There are other contact #s/email addresses via the Louisiana Public Health website:

http://www.dhh.state.la.us/

rb 19 years ago

need medical professionals here:

Volunteer MDs needed

and here:

Baton Rouge LSU makeshift hospital

How did things get so horribly out of hand? If you want a perspective, here is a link to a 12-mintue interview with the mayor of New Orleans. It is uncut and unedited, and powerful.

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/09/02/wwl.nagin.intv.affl&wm=10

The relief is just pouring in because so many people are so caring and generous, and because people like our beloved Manolo and others on this blog are encouraging others and making it easy to give. This may go without saying, but everything, no matter how big or small, is very deeply appreciated.

The Manfauxlo 19 years ago

For the peoples who live in the gulf coast area, find out the places that are taking the clothes and the shoes. The Manfauxlo now has space in the closet!!!

In the city of the Houston, many peoples of the churches are putting together the kits of comfort, with the toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, deoderant and the wipes of moisture and putting them in the ziplocks. The ziplocks are super fantastic and have many uses in the times of crisis.

Today the Operation Backpack collected suitcases, bags and backpacks. The peoples were to put comfort kits in them, the pajamas and an entire outfit with the shoes. Makes you think of swag bags in a different light packing one of these. The Manfauxlo had lots of lotions samples that went in too.

The third coasters, they need to check with the churches and the powers that be to see what the peoples need. It is so much but it must be done.

When the buses arrive in the Houston, there are volunteers who stand outside them and clap. For each bus.

And the spare change, it can go to the Red Cross efforts too:

http://www.redcross.org/donate/coinstar.html

LizaBet 19 years ago

JayKay:

Baton Rouge Gen Medical Center is looking for nurses. The contact info is 225-381-6464 or http://www.brnurse.com/www.brgeneral.org. LSU Health Science Center’s Baton Rouge Campus also needs any medical personnel; you can register to volunteer on their website at http://www.lsuhsc.edu. I too have a medical background and wish I could go down and help but circumstances won’t permit it at this time. I hope this info is useful.

With New Orleans so much the focus of the news right now, I want to remind everyone that Missippi was hit equally hard and also needs your donations and prayers.

enygma 19 years ago

I heard Mayor Daley (of Chicago) announce on the radio the other day that Chicago Public Schools will waive residency requirements so that children from the areas devastated by the flooding can attend school up here. If you can, please visit that link and buy a school kit. Though the site says that it’s for homeless CPS students, I’m sure that donations will also go to the kids from the South. http://www.kitsforkidz.org/

Carol 19 years ago

The readers of Manolo are directed to http://www.wheretosendonationsforkatrina.blogspot.com
a most excellent grass-roots site which posts addresses for shelters and other groups directly serving Katrina refugees. The Carol notes the recurrent call for shoes and slippers. Cannot the shoe-loving readers of the Manolo fill some boxes with their nearly-new castoffs or sneakers lovingly purchased at the Target and send some?

Kate 19 years ago

Thank you so much Manolo for providing the Red Cross link to donate cash. I have sent the $$ I was going to spend on yet another pair of shoes to the Katrina Relief effort.

Sadly, I cannot get Carol’s link above to work, so if anyone knows where spare shoes and clothes may be donated would you please post it here? I stopped counting after my shoe collection reached fifty pairs, yet I have only the two feet; I would very much like give all those adorable shoes I promised and I would wear some day and haven’t to some poor girl who lost *GASP* all her shoes! Ditto, all those charming clothes I bought convincing myself I would lose five pounds, then wear, and immediately gained ten! They too should go where they can be of use!

My advice for giving away spare clothes and shoes is to find out if there is a shelter in your area.

Apparently, our Gulf Coast friends are being spread out as far as Cape Cod:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/09/05/2500_katrina_evacuees_headed_to_cape_base/

A number of our friends are a little worried about being sent so far from their home. Many of the families got split during the evacuation. So all we can do is show these third coasters the best in hospitality and give until it is painful.

http://www.wheretosenddonationsforkatrina.blogspot.com/ works for me from my browser.

Thanks Carol!

Bis Nation 19 years ago

The Bis Nation says, that thanks to the awesomeness of the Manolo readership, the Bis Nation donated some money to one the spca organizations taking in abandoned animals from Hurricane Katrina. Thanks all for the suggestions…