Sept 28
ASPCA Looking for Animal
Rescue Volunteers in New Orleans
The emergency shelter in St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans is in urgent need of shelter staff, rescue teams and dedicated hard workers.
Qualifications:
superior dog and cat handling skills
experience as veterinary technician or shelter worker a plus
animal control or emergency-response training a plus
Requirements:
ability to deploy to St. Bernard Parish within 72 hours
ability to work at the shelter for a minimum of 5 days
ability to provide your own food, water and accommodations (ie: tent or rv)
There is currently no electricity at the shelter.
Time is of the essence - please respond ONLY if you meet these requirements.
Send email with your name, contact info, and brief description of your qualifications to disaster@aspca.org
Note: If you are interested in pursuing this volunteer opportunity, we urge you to contact L.A. Works volunteer Andrew Nicastro. Andrew has just returned from New Orleans where he worked with the ASPCA on animal rescue efforts. He has lots of information to share about how best to prepare to assist with these rescue efforts and what to expect. Click here to email Andrew with your questions.
Sept 23:
RED CROSS TRAINING FOR L.A. WORKS VOLUNTEERS
The effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be felt across the country for many months. To help our members get involved in disaster relief efforts, we have arranged a special American Red Cross training exclusively for L.A. Works members.
The hurricane damage on the Gulf Coast has caused the largest mobilization in American Red Cross history for disaster service volunteers. A "fast track" class will be offered on Sunday, October 30th from 10 am to 3pm at the American Red Cross West Los Angeles Center. L.A. Works Volunteers will received a combination introduction and shelter operations course and then be eligible for local or national deployment. It's an excellent way to join this massive campaign.
Click here to sign up for this special training, which will prepare you for current and future disaster relief efforts.
Sept 22:
THREAT OF RITA CANCELS
L.A. WORKS HOUSTON
DISASTER RELIEF TRIP
It is with great regret that we formally announce the
cancellation of our project in Houston this weekend. As we're sure you're aware, Rita is now the third largest hurricane ever to appear in the Gulf of Mexico and its path is scheduled to intersect Houston. The city has been evacuating and most of the airports will be suspending flights for incoming passengers.
Fuel is scarce in the city, ground transportation is gridlocked, and its clearly too dangerous for us to proceed.
We salute the 26 volunteers who were mobilized and ready to go this weekend! While it is disappointing that we are unable to go to Houston and lend a direct hand, the important thing is that we were ready and willing to serve.
A special thanks to the Managing Committee that planned this large undertaking: Julie Prejean, Alexa Benson, Julie Anne O'Neill, Emilie Harris, and Amy Meiners. You folks were amazing!
Thanks to the rest of the team for their patience, dedication, and flexibility as we coped with the complex dynamics of disaster relilef. The team:
Bill Anker, Charles Cole, Mandana Dayani, Selia Evans, Yuke Fujimoto, Cindy Goss, Mary Granville, Dorothea Hackenberg, Karalee Hayes, Lori Hutchins, Mayumi Kawashima, Julile Mallari, Mystica Malone, Harriet Matthey, Andrew Nicastro, Djenaba Parker, Linda Petty, Jack Plotnick, Kali Rocha, Shannon Salder, Nathan Van Hala, and Linda Wong.
Sept 12:
San Gabriel Valley
Red Cross Training
The Red Cross is still mobilizing volunteers to assist in the gulf and locally. If you're interested in volunteering with the Red Cross you must attend a Red Cross Fast Track Training. Unfortunately, Local Red Cross trainings have been packed, and few spaces have remained available.
To assist with the demand, Azusa Pacific University is hosting a training for 1,000 volunteers on Sept 17-18. To sign up online for this training opportunity, click here. Training will take place from 9 - 4 p.m. on both days.
Sept 9:
Houston Trip is a go!
Thanks to our volunteers for the quick response to our call for action. We've reached the minimum group size and been confirmed to serve in Houston from Sept 25 - Oct 2nd. We still have room for more sign-ups if others are interested in joining. Click here for full Project Details:
Act quickly to find the best airfares and transportation costs. Our management team is in place. Thanks to L.A. Works Project Leaders Julie Prejean, Alexa Benson, Suzanne Studer Iselt, Julie O'Neill, Amy Meiners, Mandana Dayani and team leader Emilie Harris for organizing the team!
Opportunities to Serve in L.A.
We have been in communications with a number of agencies in Los Angeles and statewide in California about volunteer needs locally to help intake and resettle refugees from the gulf. Keep watching this page for the latest announcements and calls to action! As soon as logistics are settled, we'll be posting local volunteer opportunities on the L.A Works Project calendar. Links will also be available from this page.
Sept 8:
L.A. Works organizes Team
to travel to Houston
For Hands On Relief
Thanks for your enthusiasm and your patience. We're now organized and ready to roll. We've gotten our first call to Action in the affected region. We need to quickly assemble a team of volunteers to travel to Houston on Sept 25 – Oct 2nd. We want to organize a team of 25-100 people and must do this by Friday to ensure they have a spot for us. Click here for full Project Details:
If you can't travel to Houston, please consider contributing funds to help support the team that will be going. Working together — we're going to make a real contribution to the people affected by this tragedy.
Click here to make an online donation to support the team.
If you can, sign up as soon as possible. We'll have lots of additional details for you once we are sure we have a team committed to making the trip. Please email me Larry Deckel if you have any technical problems signing up for this project on the website.
Sept 6:
At this time (with the information we have from The Red Cross) the placement of self-organized teams (as reported on Sept 2nd, below) has reached its limit. Nationally, there are more than 60 teams of between 25-100 people that will be deployed over the next 3-6 weeks. We are still awaiting word as to whether an L.A. team will be part of this deployment.
As we continue to explore needs both locally in Los Angeles (to help with refugee resettlement), and possible support needs in the Southern Region, we have established a Hurricane Relief Team to facilitate communications for upcoming projects.
If you wish to join the Hurricane Katrina Relief team and be notified immediately of Project opportunities, click here to join the team.
Sept 4:
L.A. Works Project Leader seeks to form group to travel to South
and aid Red Cross
with disaster Relief
L.A. Works Project Leader and RN, Alexa Benson is trying to form a team of at least 25 people to assist in the relief effort of Hurricaine Katrina. The cost will include round trip airfare approximately $350 roundtrip airfare (to Montomergy, Alabama). Meals and housing will be provided by the Red Cross.
If you are interested please notify Alexa ASAP to confirm your interest in this volunteer project. Dates are based on overall group availability; preferably 9/21/05- 9/28/05, but open to change based on overall group input. Total cost is approximately $350.00 plus 7-8 days of volunteer time.
Please contact Alexa ASAP at girlalexa@aol.com or 310-920-9500.
Sept 2:
Help the L.A. Dodgers Aid Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Please note: All volunteer slots for this opportunity with the Dodgers are now full with a long waiting list. Thanks to all our volunteers for their rapid response to our call for action!
The Los Angeles Dodgers are collecting money to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. To assist with the Dodgers’ hurricane relief efforts, City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked L.A. Works to assist with staffing the collection efforts.
During the three-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Dodgers Stadium on Monday, Sept 5, Tuesday, Sept 6, and Wednesday, Sept 7, L.A. Works volunteers will assist the Dodgers in accepting donations behind home plate on the Field, Loge and Reserve levels. In addition, there will be Internet kiosks set up throughout the stadium to assist fans with on-line donations.
At the Wednesday, Sept. 7 game, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Dodgers will be one of 15 home teams that will “pass the hat” that day to collect donations from fans. Major League Baseball will match the total collected at all the ballparks up to $1 million. Players on Sept. 7 will wear a Red Cross path, emblematic of the relief effort, while the Red Cross logo and a telephone number to call in donations will appear on the side of the bases. The hurricane relief efforts by MLB coincide with its annual celebration of Roberto Clemente Day, which honors the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Hall of Famer who was killed in a plane crash in December 1972 while on his way to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Volunteers should arrive at the stadium at 3:45 pm. for the Monday game, or 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and/or Wednesday.
Instructions for volunteers:
You must sign up for this project on this website to be on the list for admission to Dodgers Stadium. You will receive a confirmation of your sign-up.
Confirmed volunteers should enter the stadium through the Elysian Park Avenue gate just off Sunset Blvd. Tell the guard you are an L.A. Works Volunteer and you will be directed to Lot 2 for parking and temporary passes. There will not be a regular L.A. Works Project Leader at this special event, so volunteers will report directly to Dodgers Stadium Staff. Just look for anyone wearing a Dodgers Staff badge in the parking lot and tell them you're there as an L.A. Works volunteer. They will have further instructions for you and direct you to where you need to go.
As a thanks to volunteers for this event, each volunteer may bring up to two family members who will receive complimentary tickets to watch the game while you volunteer and assist the Dodgers with their fundraising efforts. Volunteers will be working until the end of the game (approximately 8:00 p.m.)
Please do not sign-up for this event unless you are sure you can attend and report promptly as scheduled. We want to ensure that all volunteers who sign up report for this important fund-raising effort. Thanks!
Volunteers for this project must be at least 18 years of age.
Click here to sign up to volunteer on Sept 5, 6, or 7th.
GROUPS OF 25 OR MORE WILLING
TO TRAVEL TO ALABAMA AND LOUISIANA
ARE BEING TRAINED FOR SERVICE
Hands On Network is supporting The Red Cross by coordinating groups to serve in immediate response teams working from their operation centers in Montgomery, AL and Baton Rouge, LA. If a group of 25-100 from your community, company or organization wants to serve, click here to find out if you meet eligibility requirements and find out how to proceed. NOTE: New teams are no longer being accepted. (See info above dated Sept 6).
Sept 1:
Dear L.A. Works Members and Supporters:
As each of you know, the past 48 hours has brought tremendous suffering to the people of the Gulf Coast Region. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this tragedy, and our offerings of support go out to all of them.
 L.A. Works and other affiliates of the Hands On Network are working closely with the Red Cross to identify when and how our volunteers can provide assistance in communities across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
At this time, donations of clothing, food or other goods are not requested. Their transportation and distribution pose too many challenges. Monetary donations will more quickly ensure that the people in need get what they need the most.
Monetary Donations can be made through any of the following:
The American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund (earmarked for Hurricane Katrina)
The Salvation Army
FEMA
The Network for Good
United Way's Hurricane Katrina Response Fund
Operation USA
LOCAL RED CROSS INFORMATION
At this time, The greater L.A. Red Cross is only sending trained disaster volunteers to the disaster site. Since the primary purpose of the Red Cross is to establish and run disaster shelters, they need volunteers who have had prior training in sheltering and feeding people or providing mental health services.
If you would like to become a local Red Cross volunteer, call the Office of Volunteer Personnel (213) 739-5272 so that they can register you and determine the type of volunteer activity is best suited for you. Also, you can sign up to take Red Cross disaster and safety classes to be ready for future disasters. You can locate your local chapter at the Los Angeles Red Cross Web site at www.acrossla.org.
VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE TRAINED
DISASTER VOLUNTEERS in L.A. Area
If you are registered in the DSHR system, you can call
(213) 739-5249 (or 5248). They can confirm your availability and determine what assignment might be available for you.
What lies ahead?
Marc Serota / Reuters
In the upcoming weeks and months, L.A. Works in conjunction with the Hands on Network will be working with our national partners The Home Depot and the Corporation for National and Community Service to create a long-term plan that supports rebuilding efforts in the most affected communities.
As local volunteer needs in support of this tragedy become known, we will post updates to this newsletter, linked from our web site at www.laworks.com
Thanks for your continued support!
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