MoveOn makes available 42,000 beds for Katrina survivors

[HootieMcBoob]

This has probably already been posted but I just couldn't help myself. It's the first time I've seen it and I think it's great.

The story is at Raw Story here: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/MoveOn_makes_available_34000_beds_for_Katrina_sur_0902.html
(copied below)
And the MoveOn site is here:
http://www.hurricanehousing.org/

MoveOn.org Civic Action, formerly known as MoveOn.org, has made available at least 42,000 beds for survivors of Hurricane Katrina through its http://hurricanehousing.org website, RAW STORY has learned.

Details from a the group's release follow.

The organization will directly connect evacuees with volunteer hosts, and also provide the housing information to the Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Advertisement

In just 24 hours people across the country opened their homes and offered more than 42,000 beds. The emergency drive connects empty beds with hurricane victims in need of housing. The public can post free housing offers (a spare room, extra bed, even a decent couch), then evacuees and aid workers can search for available housing online at: www.hurricanehousing.org.

Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are being bused to the Houston Astrodome, where they may wait for weeks or months. At least 80,000 are competing for area shelters and countless more are in motels, cars, or wherever they can find shelter. FEMA and the Red Cross are working hard to provide shelter for the displaced.

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans.

The process is simple:

*

You can sign up to become a host by posting a description of whatever housing you have available. You can change or remove your offer at any time.
*

Hurricane victims, local and national relief organizations, friends and relatives can search the site for housing. MoveOn will do everything they can to get housing offers where they are needed most, even distributing them to social workers helping families in shelters.
*

Hurricane victims or relief agencies can submit requests to people who post housing offers. They decide if it's a good match and then reply to make the necessary arrangements. The host's contact information is hidden from view until they decide to respond to a particular request.

[HootieMcBoob]

1. kicking my own post

how pathetic is that? Oh, well...it deserves a kick.
way to go MoveOn.org! :toast:

[I Have A Dream]

2. Recommending -- it should now be on the Greatest page.

(Should now have 5 votes.)

[Califooyah Operative]

3. to date - it's "108,078 beds volunteered so far!"

" Hurricane Katrina has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
But thousands of people throughout the region are stepping up to offer
free shelter to those in need. 108,078 beds volunteered so far!"

http://hurricanehousing.org/

[henslee]

4. kick.

[Joanne98]

5. Watch FEMA turn them down.....

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. Screw FEMA

Since when did Americans need permission to help other Americans?

[globalvillage]

6. I'm pretty far away

but I signed up.

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans.

Please forward this message to anyone you know in the region who might be able to help.

But no matter where you live, your housing could still make a world of difference to a person or family in need, so please offer what you can.

[Longhorn]

7. Six of those beds are at our house

though we haven't heard from anyone yet. We also called to volunteer our home with the local people. They took our name and number and said someone would call within 24 hours but nothing yet.

Folks just started arriving in Austin today and are being going through various check-in processes so maybe we'll hear from someone soon.

[mzmolly]

8. We offered to take in a small family.

Not sure anyone will want to live in our Northern State, but perhaps they are sick of hurricanes?

[Tyranny_R_US]

9. Watch the Red Cross take credit :P

[ourbluenation]

10. I signed up for two! But I'm kinda far away in rural mendo county

[prodigal_green]

11. I signed up my sofa

I live in NYC.

I would really like to see some sort of adopt-a-family program set up for those of us who are too far away to be of any immediate use. Maybe a registry with people's clothing sizes, glasses prescriptions, needs such as wheelchairs or other things like that.

So many retail sites have birthday, wedding, shower, etc. registries, I think it would be technically possible. Churches often have such programs at Christmas to help out families in need. The concept and technology are available and in common use.

Heck, relief agencies could post that they need 1,000 pairs of size 9 shoes, for example, and individuals could purchase as few or as many as they can to help.

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. THIS IS YARD SALE SEASON - lots of clothes - we need to set up matching

In my areas of eastern MA there are a lot of yard sales in my area. Childrens' and adults' clothing is plentiful - especially the baby and kid stuff. toys, books too. Very, very cheap and mostly in good condition.

WE NEED TO SET UP A BOARD WHERE MATCHES CAN BE MADE BETWEEN NEEDED CLOTHES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE COLLECTED A SUPPLY BUT ARE WAITING FOR A MAILING ADDRESS.

Don't want to just dump on Red Cross. We need to set up a way to put out lists of needs and match them. This would naturally work well with the housing effort, since with those rooms comes a mailing address. Once the family can be spoken to, sizes can be posted.

[LincolnMcGrath]

12. Iowa is a long way from NOLA

But I signed up anyway.

[stickdog]

13. Wow! Great stuff! (nt)

[Me.]

14. Great Idea

But will transportation be provided?

[phusion]

15. Way to go Moveon and all who offered room!

:yourock:

:yourock:

[me b zola]

16. Damned fringe lefties!

Thanks for the link. I'm going to sign up to take in a family. :hi:




edited to say that we just signed up to take in a small family :)

[Paradise]

17. it's the first time i've seen it, and thanks... n/t

[TahitiNut]

19. Pets OK: no Smoking OK: no Handicapped accessible: no

:eyes:

[kliljedahl]

20. You mean that left wing, radical group that hates America?

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[LoZoccolo]

22. Still you see stuff like this on there.

We are able to house a couple, a single mom with no more than 2children. We live in a quiet neighborhood and close to schools. I am a nurse and we could help you to find work. I can only take in a white couple or white single mom due to the neighborhood we live in.
Pets OK: YES Smoking OK: YES Handicapped accessible: no Near public transit: no

So they'll take animals in before anyone who's not white.

[zalinda]

23. If they live in a red neighborhood

it may be that it would be unsafe for any color but white. There are still places like that.

zalinda