Hurricane Katrina Relief
Sunday, December 9, 2005College Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach was selected by National Hillel as one of 5 schools in North America to participate in their program, “Alternative Winter Break trip to Gulfport, Mississippi, January 1-8, 2006.” A limited number of Florida university students will be working with other students from around the country to help rebuild one of the areas ravaged by Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. These students are committed to making a real difference in the lives of the victims of these national disasters. There is also great potential for this program to become a life-changing experience for the participants. Hands On Tzedakah is making a grant to cover the associated transportation costs to make this opportunity as accessible to students as possible. We look forward to hearing the students share their experiences when they return.
Sunday, 18 September 2005
12 days have passed since our first email to you about Hands On Tzedakah’s involvement in helping Hurricane Katrina survivors.
12 days have passed and Hands On Tzedakah helped fill the void left by the government and big NGOs who spent too much time embroiled in red tape, paperwork and logistics.
In 12 days, HOT galvanized a Community and sent 9 tractor-trailer trucks to Mississippi. Our 10th will be leaving early this week, bound for Jackson, MS.
Two trucks carrying pallets of pasta, rice, powdered milk and cereals, canned goods, personal hygiene products and 1,000 loaves of bread with enough peanut butter and jelly to make 10,000 sandwiches for lunch was dispatched to the Waveland Distribution Center in Waveland, MS in time for yesterday’s noontime meal.
In 12 days, South Florida families from B’nai Torah Congregation, Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Hillel Day School, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, Pope John Paul II High School, St. Jude School and Zale Early Childhood Center at the Levis JCC, each conducted drives for specific items to help Hurricane Katrina victims. HOT paid for the packing materials, transportation, coordination and where necessary supplied volunteers to help with the packing and loading.
Four of the trucks were filled with non-perishable food and goods bought by Hands On Tzedakah. Hands On Tzedakah also received a large in-kind donation from Newport Wholesalers in Dania Beach, FL and expects to receive a large donation of coffee-based drinks from Brain Twist, Inc. out of New York City early this week. Many South Florida dentists, doctors and Hospice By the Sea, donated pharmaceuticals, formula, adult diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste and more.
This week, Hands On Tzedakah will get back to its normal business.’ Our New Year’s mailing will be out soon; we still have 41 projects that we support and monitor; we will continue to spearhead new projects; and we will continue to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Hands On Tzedakah made a profound difference in helping to save lives in the gulf coast region. Please take a look at the pictures, mostly taken by our truck drivers each of who have been touched deeply the devastation they have seen.
The truck drivers called us with tears in their voices. They report that the photos on television, in the newspapers, magazines and online do not adequately convey the devastation they have seen. People are waiting in line for the goods they transport and those in need are so grateful for the help they are receiving. There are no economic, race or religious borders for those in need and for those who are giving from their hearts. A community has come together and Hands On Tzedakah is happy to have been instrumental in making this happen.” For further information about Hands On Tzedakah or to make a contribution, please call us at (561) 883-2293, email us at info@handsontzedakah.org or click-on network for good.
Back to topSat, 10 Sep 2005
Today our 5th truckload of goods arrived in the Waveland, Mississippi. The Waveland/Bay St. Louis area was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina and help has been in short supply. The distribution site being run by Second Harvest opened just a couple of days ago. Our 40-foot tractor trailer contained pallets of non-perishable food, drinks, diapers and personal hygiene products all donated by Newport Wholesalers in Dania Beach, Florida. Our driver reported in today that the devastation is like nothing he has ever seen and the people there are in dire straits.
This week we also delivered 2 truckloads to the Adventist Community Disaster Relief Services in Lumberton, MS (near Hattiesburg) and 2 more truckloads to the Christ United Methodist Church distribution center in Jackson, MS. The drivers told us of lines of people - as far as they could see, waiting for the distribution center to open up at 8:00 am, waiting for basic necessities.
Everyone we talk to at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency thanks us profusely, almost disbelievingly, that people are so willing to help them.
Monday, September 12, 2005, 2 more trucks will leave Boca Raton with goods donated by the families of Pope John Paul II High School, St Jude School, B’nai Torah Congregation, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and the Levis Jewish Community Center.
Please join us in the efforts of Hands On Tzedakah, by giving what is in your hearts, to the people of the devastated gulf states region – just 800 miles from Boca Raton, Florida, just 1200 miles from New York City. When you give, please remember to designate your gift for Hurricane Katrina Survivors. Thank you.
Back to topTue, 6 Sep 2005 11:30 PM EDT
Today 16 volunteers spent the day accomplishing the impossible.
The day started with satisfying ourselves that if we could send goods to Mississippi, they would be distributed without any "loss of goods," and they would get to the people that needed them "immediately."
Until we satisfied ourselves, we assured you we would not move forward.
And then, the day really started:
Constant contact with Mississippi, Texas, Atlanta speaking to volunteers who are manning 24 hour emergency hotlines in those states, to local volunteers wanting to bring us their donated goods. lining up trucks, coordinating drop offs, purchasing goods.
Today HOT dispatched two 18 wheeler tractor trailers, loaded with essentials ranging from.... pallets of diapers and formula, bleach and water to tarps, undergarments and insect repellent. It should all be in Lumberton (just outside Hattiesburg), Mississippi, early Wednesday morning, ready for distribution.
Tomorrow afternoon we will be dispatching another 18 wheeler, and we expect to send at least one or two more before the week is out.
The first 18 wheeler was completely filled with goods purchased by HOT.
The second 18 wheeler was filled with goods donated by families whose children go to Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida.
Tomorrow's will be filled with non-perishable food contributed by Newport Wholesalers in Dania Beach, Florida, by the families from the Zale Early Childhood Center at the Adolph and Rose Levis JCC in Boca Raton and Hospice By the Sea. Many area pediatricians and dentists have donated pharmaceuticals, formula, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
We are working with people at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, and Pope John Paul II High School in Boca to fill our fourth, fifth and possibly more 18 wheelers.
We are working with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency which directed us to the Adventist Community Disaster Relief Services. It is their shelter housing 5,000 evacuees that will benefit from this first load.
Tonight we learned that as fast as the goods come into Jackson, Mississippi - they go our for distribution......... and each day, by nightfall, the supplies are gone.
The tragedy that has befallen the gulf coast has brought all of us together.
At the end of this terrible chapter, we will thank all of the people that have helped us (we had 16 volunteers working most of the day for HOT and there is a long list of people that have collected the contents of the trailer what we received as contributions.
These dedicated people are not interested in covet all they want to do is continue to help.
When this horrible chapter is over, we will tell you about all of them
Right now we need your help.
Back to topTue, 6 Sep 2005 02:30 AM EDT
Hands on Tzedakah has been looking for a way to lend our unique, "no expense, direct aid" approach to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
While the US government and various state governments, as well as many large NGO's are pouring resources into the devastated regions, many donors are concerned that (i) the help will not get to all those who need it and (ii) the dollars intended for charitable use will be eaten up by administrative expenses.
We are still checking on the best ways we can help and be most effective. As we write this,
- Hands on Tzedakah is working with an individual who runs an organization outside of Atlanta who has accepted the responsibility of relocating 1,600 elders into local area nursing homes. The elders have already arrived at the Dobbins Air Force base and are being treated medically before their release. They have nothing more than the shirts on their backs. They need blankets, pajamas, underwear, slippers, toiletries and other basic necessities. We have committed to pay for a substantial amount of these necessities.
- We are investigating the possibility of sending an 18-wheeler from South Florida to Hattiesburg, Mississippi loaded with non-perishables that will be distributed directly to those in need. This would be a departure from how we normally operate in that we would be putting heavy dependence on an organization that we have no prior relationship with. We feel, that in this unique disaster, where time is of the essence, we need to be flexible, and we are working with a disaster response organization in Mississippi that helps communities in crisis. They will be immediately be distributing the goods to those in need. Many of you have called and want to do something now, and if we are satisfied with how things check out in the next day or two, we could send the truck out by late Tuesday.
- Money that is forwarded to HOT for this effort also will be used to solve individual problems of individual people that are not getting what they need from the bureaucracies. Other examples could be as simple as helping a family relocate by paying for bus tickets or paying for gas. It could be paying for a night's stay in a motel so they needn't sleep in their car. The specifics of what we do will constantly change to meet the ever changing needs.
In order for the 'business' of helping people in crisis to be effective, it becomes all about whom you trust and who will be able to make the proper distributions without redundancy . We continue to investigate and make contact with those volunteers and professionals in the devastated areas and shelters or places of evacuation to make sure the right help is what we bring them. If we are not satisfied with the information we get tomorrow concerning Hattiesburg, we will continue following up on a series of leads we have with dealing with trustworthy individuals.
We have already made our first commitment to help in this tragedy. We made this commitment without any commitments from you, our donors. We hope that your reaction to this email will permit us to continue to help. You know that any dollars you send us will go as far as they can. Please consider adding to this effort. Please e-mail back and tell us that money is on its way and what you will be sending to this effort.
You can also go to our web site at www.handsontzedakah.org and on the homepage use your credit card and go through Network For Good to make a donation.
Hands On Tzedakah has over 60 projects we are currently funding and we will be sending you our fall edition of the "HOT"News before the end of the month.
| Ronald L. Gallatin | Rose B. Robinson |  |
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| Chairman and Co-Founder | President and Co-Founder | ||