Katrina Donations

Yeah, I know, I'm very late to the party. In the first week of the recovery I put up some donation links on the sidebar, but I didn't do a post saying that I'd done so, or saying anything about the particular charities I put up there. Oh well, better late than never. If anyone reading this has not already maxed out their charity budget (and if so, why haven't you?), please consider donating that extra dollar or two to one of these funds.

So. The American Red Cross, of course, needs no introduction. The reasons to give here are obvious. (And no, none of its money goes to the International Red Cross, which I wouldn't piss on if it was on fire.)

Chabad of New Orleans is there, mostly because the director is a relative of mine (second cousin once removed, I think), so I know a bit first-hand about the work they've been doing until now, and the dedication with which they will approach their new and unexpected work. Their focus is, of course, the Jewish community, since those are the people they knew and worked with before the hurricane, and with a staff of five families, now scattered over three states, they've got their hands full just coping with that burden.

For a hint of how committed these people are to their work, here is a personal account by one of them, who survived the storm and remained in his home in Metairie until Wednesday. Also fascinating is the blog that one of the rabbis kept last week.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is there mostly because I haven't seen it on anyone else's list. It wasn't on NZ Bear's list until I added it, and I thought it should be there. This is why. The refugees are going to need help for a long time, and the burden falls heavily on the cities where they are now.

And while we're raising funds for refugees, let's not forget the Jews forcibly expelled from their homes in the Gaza Strip, and in the North of Samaria. Their number and need may not be nearly as great as that of Katrina's refugees, but it's real nonetheless. The One Israel Fund has been raising money for them, and if you've got any spare cash, please consider throwing some of it their way.

One more thing. If you are motivated by this blog to make any donations, please log them with NZ Bear, and be so good as to mention our name...

Technorati Tags: flood aid, Hurricane Katrina