Here are the contents of an email post from Judy Rude at CSREES.
Hurricane Katrina is a much greater disaster than was expected. We all want to know how we can help.
CSREES supports Extension’s Disaster Education Network (EDEN) which includes 48 states and several territories. Pat Skinner, the EDEN contact for Louisiana, has been at the Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, since the weekend. She has developed hurricane materials, which are posted on the EDEN Web site at www.eden.lsu.edu. The last we heard from her, she and her family were fine and their home was safe.
An excellent resource on this site addresses how you can help. Briefly it suggests:
- Financial contributions are often the best kind of donation to make.
- DO NOT send clothes, goods, or other items.
- Donate through an organization such as the American Red Cross or other national voluntary organizations active in disaster.
Another useful resource is “Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages” guide. Hard copies were sent last summer to each state, and this guide is also available on the Web site. This guide was developed by the National Disaster Education coalition of which CSREES is a member. There are a number of brief fact sheets in this guide on topics such as food and water safety, generators, talking to children about disasters, etc.
Once people are able to return to their homes, a major clean-up will be necessary. Mold will be a major issue for homes that are still standing. For mold and other related issues, visit www.healthyindoorair.org. Again, EDEN is in a position to help with this effort and will remain in the affected communities as long as necessary. For more information, contact Joe Wysocki, CSREES National Program Leader.