BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Autism Spectrum Disorders Sites for helping Katrina victims

You all are great for wanting to step in and help the families of disabled children in New Orleans. I think that such empathy and ability to care for others is one of the definite gifts of having an autistic child. Is anyone else like me that sees a tragedy and immediately thinks of the Autistic children, of how they are struggling and coping, and of their mothers who are handling so much with their special child? I remember a while back, when NYC was having blackouts after 9/11...remember? The only thing I could think of was of some mom out there struggling with no electricity when her Autistic child, like mine, wants to watch videos in his free time and screams when he can't.

I applaud you all for looking into helping, and for sharing what you can with others.

Bye

Here is another one to post housing offers and then to search for them:

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

United Cerebral Palsy has set-up an emergency hotline for United Cerebral Palsy of New Orleans. Concerned consumers and their families, employees and volunteers can call (800) 872-5827 to receive information, as well as leave messages about their personal status.

People can also visit the UCP of Greater New Orleans Web site at http://www.ucpgno.org to leave messages for consumers and employees. National and regional staff will monitor both message systems.

United Cerebral Palsy has set-up a Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund to provide services to people with disabilities affected by hurricane Katrina and assist UCP affiliates throughout the region restore their operations as quickly as possible. If you are able to help, we you encourage you to make an online donation at
http://www.ucp.org/donate

Having been here in Pensacola for the past 42 years, we appreciate the help from everyone after Hurricane Ivan. However, in the first little while after the storm, getting in and out is not the easiest thing to do. Yesterday my husband, his sister and brother drove two cars to Ocean Springs to deliver generator, gas, ice, water and food to his sister. It took four hours to get to Mobile (60 miles). The traffic is bumper to bumper and there is a gas crunch going on here. Joe's thoughts are in the right place but rather than everyone doing this, collections need to be made here and a truck sent over with needed items. When Ivan came we all stood in the ice, water and MRE lines, and not for the first time. There has been no phone communication west of Mobile except for two brief spots somewhere in Mississippi, and I do not think anything is open. Please do not think I am discounting the idea, but only emergency and other necessary people should be going into these areas at first. Perhaps Joe's wife can organize a donation site and we can fill the truck with a lot of things and send it there. And, we are not finished with hurricane season yet.

I still find it amazing that all these reporters from all over the country can get into these areas, but not the aide. Are the reporters and their crews bringing some supplies and then they take time away from all the workers to be interviewed, I don't really think that is worth while, their break should be resting and drinking water and not being on every single newscast on network tv and cable news.

I liked seeing how the Houston Astrodome has a large board for people to post and then Greta showed on Fox News a form they are handing out for people to list an email address and note they want to get sent. American Red Cross is doing that for them.

I also heard the Astrodome is not accepting anymore. I wonder if my Governor - AKA Terminator is going to step up to the plate. I am in walking disatance of Dodger Stadium. The local news collected a million plus yesterday at Dodger Stadium and Arrowhead Pond. Today they were at the Rose Bowl.

I saw the lines for gas. Here in Los Angeles on Monday gas was 2.89, Tuesday 2.99 and Wed 3.19 and still the same today. This is one down the street and then a few blocks away it is 2.82 - I bought mine on Monday for 2.73 -near the LA Zoo there are a few places cheaper and they are off the 5 freeway. They always say the ones near fwys are more expensive - but not necessarily so.

Graceview Baptist Church in Tomball, on the north side of
Houston, is a designated Red Cross Shelter and they have a
special needs ministry: 25510 Tomball Parkway, Tomball, TX 77375
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The ARC of Greater Houston is Coordinating Housing for Families with Special Needs. The ARC will be the clearing house for those in the Houston area who ar willing to open
their homes to families with children who have cognitive, intelectual or developmental disabilities and are in the
Houston area, having fled the hurricane damage. If you are
willing to be on that contact list, or know of people who
need assistance, please call our office. We will try to provide information: 713-957-1600. Judith A. Kantorczyk,
Executive Director, The Arc of Greater Houston, phone:
713-957-1600, fax: 713-957-1699,
http://www.thearcofgreaterhouston.com

In view of the tremendous needs of families with children on the autism spectrum in the Gulf area hit by the hurricane, Unlocking Autism has set up their website to accept to accept donations for these specific needs.
Shelley Reynolds, UA President, lives in Baton Rouge as
well as several other UA volunteers. UA also has a State
Representative who lives just outside of New Orleans. These contacts will enable them to find needs and distribute funds to those with children with autism. If you would like to specifically help these fmailies you may do so by going to http://www.unlockingautism.org and click on Gulf Disaster Relieft. Unlocking Autism is a non profit (501 c 3) organization.

Camp Yocona, Toccopola, MS (near Oxford) is willing to house up to 350 temporarily (4-5 weeks before we start having space conflicts with groups the facility has committed to). They have cabins which house 8 and each group of cabins (4 to 5)has a bathhouse. Centralized commercial kitchen and dining hall. We have a great gfcf
cook willing to fly over from Hawaii to help get set up etc. if we have a group going there. I also live locally and will help with logistics, etc.

The Ranger at Camp Yocona has asked me to coordinate for them (He's recovering from surgery) please contact me with information.

mitsmom@yahoo.com or 662-488-9619 Peg Pickering
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Also, Camp Lake Stephens, Oxford, MS has opened its facilities to anyone who needs them. They have air-conditioned cabins with 8 beds and private baths each. 662.234.3350 Don't have lots of particulars, but these are good Methodist people wanting to help if they can.

They have offered their facilities to several groups and have heard back from none so far. The director of the camp has an autistic son.
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Operation Share your Home:

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On CNN they just mentioned someting about a zipcode for the Houston Astrodome so that the refugees can get mail there. I caught the tail end and did not see any address on the screen. They moved on to another story.

If anyone sees that address posted - please mention it here as well.

Thanks