How You Can Help Floridians Suffering From Hurricane Charley [instructions from FL Gov Jeb Bush]

State of Florida Web Site - Hurricane Charley Resources ^ | Aug 15, 2004 | summer

[summer]

www.floridadisaster.org


Hello FR posters,

Thank you for your posts to me, and yes, I am OK. After we called FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA, the power went back on in an hour.

I am writing this note to let you know I saw Gov Jeb Bush on tv today, and he explained how people can help those Floridians suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Charley.

His comments were also published HERE in the NYT, and this is what he said:

The Republican governor urged people who wanted to help storm victims to donate money to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army rather than sending food, clothing and other supplies.

"I would urge people to provide financial support if they want to act on their compassion or act on their heart," he said.

The state's official web site has a lot of contact information in a large red box at the top of the homepage for these organizations: www.myflorida.com

Here is an excerpt of other comments by Gov. Jeb Bush, as reported in the above NYT article:

...."We are here to help you," he replied.

"There's no science that can exactly say where a hurricane will go," he said.

"This is God's way of telling us that he's almighty and we're mortal," said the governor, standing on Marion Street in Punta Gorda, a strip of small restaurants and stores with brick sidewalks and ornamental street lights, now littered with debris.

..."We live in paradise," he said. "This is kind of the bad side to that."

He said the devastation was worse than that of Hurricane Andrew, which raged through Florida in 1992, because its damage was spread over a wider area, from the southwest coast at Punta Gorda to the Atlantic coast at Daytona Beach.

[Gov] Bush said that while it was too early for a damage estimate, the cost would be "in the billions of dollars, adding, "If you count the number of roofs that need to be fixed, it's in the thousands."

...The National Guard had dispatched 1,500 troops to Charlotte County and neighboring areas by Saturday morning and planned to have 5,000 helping with damage assessment and search-and-rescue missions by evening, Gov. Bush said.

... In his news conference, Governor Bush pointed out that residents of many of the damaged trailer parks had been urged to evacuate.

"I've always worried about hurricane amnesia and you have to go through one and experience it to realize that it is going to happen," Gov. Bush said. " To the extent that it didn't, that's part of the reason there is going to be tragedy here today."

The local tv and radio newscasters are repeating Gov Bush's remarks, encouraging financial help to the Red Cross or Salvation Army. This will go to the people who have suffered, and is preferred to sending clothing or food because of the logistics of handling supplies. Right now some post offices are badly damaged.

Thanks for your help and prayers. A lot of people have lost their homes and businesses.

Sincerely,

summer

[MeekOneGOP]

How You Can Help Floridians
Suffering From Hurricane Charley
[instructions from FL Gov Jeb Bush]

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Excerpt:

In addition, from NYT article: Mr. Bush's brother, President Bush, announced that he would visit the state on Sunday. "Many lives have been affected by this hurricane and I know you join me in sending our prayers to those people looking for solace and help,'' he told a crowd as he campaigned in Iowa.

BTW, the newscasters I saw on local tv interviewed local people and others, and they were very glad Gov Bush was here right away, assessing the damage, calming people, etc.

There has also been an enormous number of state and local officials and volunteers from Broward, Dade, Sarasota and all over Florida coming into SW FL. So, people are pulling together here.

If you can offer financial help, as Gov Bush mentioned, click on "Disaster Responders Request Donations" or "Florida's Red Cross Chapters" HERE. And, thanks. :)

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Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Florida or General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[Bahbah]

I am very glad to see you here, summer. People may, of course, donate in any way they wish, but I urge consideration of the Salvation Army, an organization about which I have not heard a whiff of scandal. I am not in any way connected to the organization.

[Caipirabob]

Here's a link I just used for the Salvation Army. You can specify the Hurricane Victims fund. The "Donation" link is on the left side down a little.

Direct Link to Salvation Army (Secure Donations can be accessed from here)

[WaterDragon]

I'll donate to the Salvation Army, thank you. Who knows what the RC will do with donations.

[WaterDragon]

Thanks for pinging me, MOGOP.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[oceanview]

I did, based on summer's persuasive posts here.

Just watching a Sunday live Hardball on MSNBC - most of the panel says Florida (and the election) can turn on the way this event is handled - so I I think its a good idea to donate to the Salvation Army through their web site - and specify hurrcane charlie relief as the target of their donation.